It’s another science-hero movie, and it’s a good one.
Spoilers, be warned....
Geologist Kristian Eikjord is about to leave picturesque Geirangerfjorden for the much flatter Stavanger… but on last days of anything, does that day ever go as planned? He still goes into work for a little farewell party but leaves a bit saddened with an inkling in the back of the mind. That inkling becomes a full-on realization of an impending disaster.
I think we’ve all had one of these. Something in the data, code, design doesn’t seem quite right. And often that hunch turns into discovering a huge problem.
In The Wave, that huge problem will amount to an 80 meter (262 foot) tall tsunami sure to destroy the lovely town at the end of the “Great Ford.” Our hero, Kristian Eikjord rushes back to the geology center, frantic. That, of course, is greeted by doubt, annoyance, and a certain amount of reassurance to get him to leave.
Like any good person of science, he continues looking into it despite people’s objections. His boss sends some people into the crevasse of the mountainside to see if our hero Kristian is right. I am mentioning this due to the sensors that have attached to the mountain. Bolted to either side of the crevasse looks like a sensor that deflects as the plates move. That data is sent to the geology center in real time. These sensors are called “C-pumps” in the film, but to be honest… I can’t find if they are real devices or not. Nevertheless, all the C-pumps break off as the dreaded event begins.
The bars connecting the left and right side are the C-pumps.
From here on out, I wouldn’t say science saves or helps the day any - it becomes more about the event and drama. But, it’s an action-packed, fun, thrilling rest of the film.
(LEFT) Before the 1934 Tsunami at Tafjord (RIGHT) Afterwards.
This film is based on a real concern that this could actually happen for the exact reasons in the story! And… partially based on real events. In 1934 (April 7) a huge rockslide (2M cubic meters) of rock fell from Langhamaren (mountain) triggering a Tsunami. At the epicenter, the wave was 62 meters (203ft) high, and 16 meters (52ft) at Tafjord. Forty people were killed by this event, being Norway’s worst natural disaster recorded in the 1900s. The event in the film, The Wave, is expected to be several times larger – if/when it happens.
All the main actors did an amazing, believable job. I think only one or two supporting cast members with a line or two seemed awkward. However, the film was in Norwegian with English subtitles, so I’m not too sure about how the language cadence should sound. But, it was Norway’s submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film of 2015 (88th Academy Awards). So, it must have been good!
As far as disaster films are concerned, The Wave is definitely in the top ten. Are there ten good disaster films?
I give The Wave 4.18 out of 5.00
It’s currently streaming on Netflix, and wherever movies are rented/sold.
Cabe