‘Expedition to the End of the World’ offers poetic ruminating on climate change
The extraordinary new documentary, Expedition to the End of the World, follows a motley crew of explorers and artists as they venture into unchartered territory on the northern coastline of Greenland. Because of climate change, this remote area has become accessible to boats, at least vessels willing to break through some hefty icebergs. On the other side of these floating barriers is an untouched world of nature, archaeological discoveries and, of course, prospectors for oil.
Director Daniel Dencik follows the expedition and its explorers, including artists, a zoologist, geochemist, marine biologist, geographer and geologist. Although that group sounds like the beginning of a good joke, the results are inspired. These scientists mingle with the artists and wax philosophic about their inner urges to explore and the general state of the earth in recent years. There are few landmark discoveries. In fact, one of the explorers fully admits that there’s no plan for the trip, simply an opportunity to head north. But this boldness at simply experiencing the landscape rids the trip of potential failure and lets the crew journey with an open mind.
Beautiful orchestral music is coupled with heavy metal tunes to showcase the mountainous terrain, the calming waters and the breaking-apart ice. Mother Earth has never looked so majestic and so fragile. A solitary polar bear bounces up on its hind legs and tries to break into a lonesome shack. A seal pops its head out of the water. Salmon dangle off the line of the interested fishermen. There’s some science thrown in with the requisite shots of microscopes and archaeological drilling. But few records are kept (or at least shown to the viewer), and earth-shattering revelations are kept to a minimum. Instead, we’re given amusing shots of the artists tripping over themselves and accidentally firing a gun into the air. Another sequence has an explorer mapping out a ancestral community, probably adding a lot of guessing with his expertise.
Expedition to the End of the World, which is currently playing New York City’s Film Forum, feels more like a Jacques Cousteau film mated with a Wes Anderson flick (sort of like The Life Aquatic). Nature is experienced, but it’s more often talked about. Climate change is evidenced, but it’s more often debated. The meaning of life is on display and then open for interpretation.
Dencik’s lens perfectly captures the wonderment of Greenland, offering underwater shots and close-ups of the rocky land. He’s never overbearing and allows each explorer to fully explain his or her position on a given topic. There are few quick edits, and ideas are able to organically materialize (although the heavy metal music is grating to the ears). At a quick 90 minutes, Expedition feels like a crash course on pontification — nothing more and nothing less. And that simplicity ought to be celebrated.
An Inconvenient Truth offered important statistics on the climate change crisis. Expedition to the End of the World puts a face on the global problem.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
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Expedition to the End of the World
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2013
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In English and Danish with English subtitles
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Directed by Daniel Dencik
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Running time: 90 minutes
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Rating:
