Amundsen

AMUNDSEN is another exploration of a key figure in Norwegian history by director Espen Sandberg, whom previously has been a part of MAX MANUS and KON-TIKI. Two films that also highlights great achievements by Norwegians. As a very small country, us Norwegians have a tendency to root for and glorify people that achieves the spectacular, and we celebrate them as heroes. AMUNDSEN is a film about Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian polar explorer that lead the first expedition to traverse the Northwest Passage and the first first expedition to the South Pole amongst other things.

It's a film that attempts to explain and provide insight into who Roald Amundsen was, more so than to retell his expeditions. This is not an action-oriented film that focuses on the fight between man and nature. Much of the film is kind of told through a conversation between Amundsen's brother and Bess Magids, one of Amundsen's romances. This is the framework of the film, with Amundsen's achievements plotted in between throughout this conversation. It's a fine enough structure in theory and I appreciate that the filmmakers have decided to not just show an expedition and leave it at that, but instead to fully explore the man behind these great achievements. It doesn't glorify him or lift his hero status in any way. He's portrayed as a very flawed and slightly bitter man outside of his accomplishments. Unfortunately, the film only seems to scrape the surface of who he was. Heck, I would say that the film only touches the surface of everything it introduces.

The huge issue with AMUNDSEN is that it feels like a PowerPoint presentation with bullet points from Wikipedia to jump into every aspect of his life. The film is focused on trying to tell so much that it barely tells anything, but more importantly, it feels dramatically flat. Amundsen's relationship with Bess Magids is never properly explored. We're never told why they really care for each other. Amundsen's relationship with his brother, which is one of the biggest parts of the story, never leaves the emotionally impact that it should. It's too quickly glossed over. Even Amundsen's journey to the South Pole feels underwhelming. We're constantly told throughout the film that it's a dangerous expedition, but they don't show us that. When Amundsen finally reaches the South Pole (which is very early in the film), we should feel a sense of triumph, but instead I just sat there with a shoulder shrug. And that's the thing, the structure of the film doesn't work. It never lingers on the moments that are important in defining who Amundsen was, what the people around him meant to him, or what Amundsen meant to the people around him. It moves too quickly, but yet so slowly.

The performances are fine. Pål Sverre Hagen does a solid job as Amundsen (though the make-up used to make him look older is slightly distracting). The cinematography is great. There are couple of beautiful shots in it and you could see that the budget has been well-used. Which is why it's such a shame that film is struggling on a narrative level.

Nansen and amundsen are superheros in norwegian history, thats a fact, but to make a believable account of his life on film is not an easy task, because he was a controversial person , also in norway. but they try and the result are within reason with a few flaws , a good presentation of roald amundsen . i wish the makers had used a bit more room for his companiogns, who more than thrice showed to be the beams that kept the house of cards standing.

its a slow paced movie, and i had expected even more action than presented here. the way the narrative is presented, through his brother leon, are pretty original, i liked that. the acting are not more than average, quite boring at times, but maybe life then were boring and a waiting game for news from the abyss. there are vast use of vfx and cgi, some are good,others pretty second hand. the end sequens, were amundsen flies the latham and dissapears are speculative,and people still speculates what happened,i dont know, maybe he flew to the gran canaries instead, living a silent and withdrawn life???.

its a norwegian film and the grumpy old man are quite proud by the product made by my countrymen, its well worth a view.recommended

I ordered this after reading a few reviews--we are big fans of the PBS production "THE LAST PLACE ON EARTH" made a few decades ago. So, anything on Amundsen is a must-see for us.

As others have noted, the pace is a bit slow, but the cinematography was quite good. The South Pole expedition included a gripping sequence wherein one of the party (and a sled) falls into a yawning fissure that suddenly opens up (possibly fictional, but it illustrates the danger of polar travel). After Amundsen returns form his 'successful' South Pole trip (I say that instead of 'victorious'), he is obliged to return to North Pole activities, and is attacked by a polar bear. Scary moment, well-filmed.

Usually, a slower pace will allow the Director to develop the protagonist's character more, but I am still mystified by what made Amundsen tick. He could not abide opposition to his ideas, and seemed to have a 'you cross me--we are done' outlook. Nonetheless, he was the kind of Project Leader you needed when you travelled in the Wild: a meticulous planner, and a tireless worker who did not play mind games with his companions--he kept 'aloof' somewhat to avoid currying 'favorites' & sought the counsel of his team. That was exactly what was wrong with his South Pole competitor, Robert Falcon Scott--a great gamesman and author, but a terrible guy to work for when your life is on the line.

I would recommend the film, if you have an interest in the subject. If you can find 'The Last Place on Earth' (book or dvd), though, I think you will find it longer, but quicker-paced, and give you more insight into Amundsen (even though it splits between him and Scott). 7/10

Had the potential, but sadly 'Amundsen' underwhelms.

It's a fascinating biopic idea, given it's about the life of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. It holds all the ingredients to create a riveting film, but unfortunately it doesn't reach the heights it perhaps should've.

I think the biggest annoyance/frustration with this is how the story is unveiled. They reveal it in boring fashion through the voices of others, with it being told in both the native tongue and English. Both those things stopped me from creating a connection to the characters.

I like the cast, though. Pål Sverre Hagen leads strongly in the main role, while Christian Rubeck gives a good performance too. The rest of the support cast are solid if forgettable, with Katherine Waterston being the most memorable.

Cinematography is nice, though the ageing effects aren't the best. All in all, it isn't one I'd recommend.

But cant say it was bad. I really enjoyed some parts of the movie.