by Jon Partridge
The disaster movie is startling in its endurance. Each year Hollywood comes up with new ways to wipe mankind from the face of the Earth, either through the forces of Mother Nature, terrorist acts, or alien invasion. We’ve seen other countries getting in on the act, and while they can’t usually match the budget of their American counterparts these foreign filmmakers usually come up with some more innovative or emotional take to make their mark. Such is the case here with The Wave, know in its native Norway as Bølgen.
THE WAVE Synopsis
Nestled in Norway’s Sunnmøre region, Geiranger is one of the most spectacular tourist draws on the planet. With the mountain Åkerneset overlooking the village — and constantly threatening to collapse into the fjord — it is also a place where cataclysm could strike at any moment. After putting in several years at Geiranger’s warning centre, geologist Kristian (Kristoffer Joner) is moving on to a prestigious gig with an oil company. But the very day he’s about to drive his family to their new life in the city, Kristian senses something isn’t right. The substrata are shifting. No one wants to believe that this could be the big one, especially with tourist season at its peak, but when that mountain begins to crumble, every soul in Geiranger has ten minutes to get to high ground before a tsunami hits, consuming everything in its path.
The Wave is, in many ways, a by-the-book disaster movie. You get the groundwork, building sympathy for the core characters, spurious (or at least clunkily delivered) science behind a impending disaster, championed by a scientist (Kristian [Kristoffer Joner]) who no one believes until it’s too late; and then witness the ensuing mayhem as paper thin characters, or “fodder” as refer to them in this type of movie, are wiped out. Tropes are wheeled out, and it’s a little predictable as a result, which defuses the film of some of its impact.
The flip side to this is that while predictable, it is very well done. Little emotional moments resonate, and there is a focus on a family dynamic sure to affect many, despite plenty of more interesting characters cast aside who may have been equally worthy of attention. The special effects are impressive and not over the top, which helps ground the tension a little. The film is also aided by its setting, a stunning location, and some wonderful cinematography that takes full advantage of the UNESCO World Heritage site that is Geiranger. The Wave is one of the most beautiful disaster movies I’ve seen.
THE PACKAGEThe Blu-ray transfer of The Wave is of impressive quality. The visuals maintain a natural feel, with scenes occurring at various points of the day as the mayhem is unleashed, and at all times the details, colors, and contrast are solid.
Special features are few, falling under the umbrella of a Behind the Scenes of The Wave featurette, three parts, each with a rather short runtime. These include Visual Effects, Interview with the Director. and Trailers. They offer insights on some of the set piece execution, filming approaches, CGI, and the cast experiences, notably dealing with underwater filming.
THE BOTTOM LINEIt’s refreshing to have a disaster film without the grandiose language and patriotic swagger of its American brethren. The Wave is a beautiful film and one that nestles into the genre comfortably; whether that’s a positive or a negative will depend largely on your own views.
The Wave is available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD June 21 from Magnolia Home Entertainment.
