I’ve learned something important from going to the movies in the past couple of months. Don’t partake in any kind of journey. Don’t go traipsing into outer space, and if you can help it don’t even go yachting on the open sea (not that I could go “yachting” even if I wanted to, but that’s another issue). It’s nothing but trouble, people. Just stay at home. All Is Lost is another harrowing but ultimately effective story of courage and survival, following a single character under great adversity as he battles and comes to terms with the forces of nature.
Boasting the smallest of casts, the story is about one recreational sailor (Robert Redford, credited in the film simply as “Our Man”) lost in the Indian Ocean with a hole in the side of his ship. His boat is taking on water, his electronics have shorted out, he doesn’t have a lot of food or drinkable water, the sea is filled with sharks and there are nothing but hurricane level storms on the horizon. Our Man must do whatever possible to stay alive, hoping that the current will eventually float him into a shipping lane.
With the exception a journal entry narrated by Redford early on, the character barely speaks. Other than the fact that he has a family, we don’t know who he is, nor do we learn much more about him. He mostly grunts and uses four letter words when events take progressive turns for the worse, followed by long looks of tortured exasperation. While this would normally be a major problem, the movie manages to get away with it thanks to the lead actor. It’s a role in which a star is essential and Redford brings a history that helps the audience to relate to his plight even without any character development.
What’s perhaps most impressive about the film are the physical demands placed upon him. The 77 year old actor is knocked around during the course of the film, particularly during the storm sequences. They’re the tensest moments, as Our Man and his water-logged ship are flipped 360 degrees several times using long takes, the character and actor bouncing painfully off the furniture, walls and ceilings. Amazingly, it appears as if Redford did some of the stunts himself.
In many ways this tale is similar to Gravity, but told in a more minimalist manner. It’s almost the art-house cousin of that bigger budgeted feature. Much of this film is silent, with only the sound of lapping water on the soundtrack. The movie’s bigger, more dramatic moments are punctuated effectively with a haunting score by Alex Ebert (of the rock band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes), but it’s a pensive movie in general. Between the major threats, it attempts to establish a sense of realism by letting ship chores play out in a long, naturalistic timeframe. There are lengthy moments of unspoken self-reflection that invite viewers to find meaning as well. Many aspects, including the movie’s final shot, are open to personal interpretation.
Admittedly, one wishes that just a little more information could be given about the protagonist. Redford is impressive, but it’s impossible at times not to feel detached emotionally to some degree. Still, considering All Is Lost is a feature length film that daringly follows a solitary man on a boat, the strong lead performance (that will likely garner a nomination come Oscar time) ultimately carries us through the film. It is an acquired taste – if this doesn’t sound like your idea of a good time at the movies, it won’t be. But those who know what to expect will certainly see something unusual and fascinating.