Kon-Tiki

Kon-Tiki, a fantastic journey" Ortega y Gasset wrote that of being "the man and his circumstance". Perhaps the explorer is the "most chosen" circumstance when analyzing the different moments of his life. In short, it is the man driven by curiosity or nonconformity before established and accepted structures. The one that not only says "it can not be" when they tell him that the Earth is flat, in addition he is going to prove it putting the body, the soul and his convictions. The feat of Kon Tiki immediately refers to 1984, when the Argentine Alfredo Barragán and his friends wanted to prove that formerly they crossed the ocean following certain sea currents. They also did it on a raft, from the Canary Islands to Venezuela. Four years later the documentary record of that trip was released, the indispensable "Expedition Atlantis" (1988), a singular and atypical national production. But 37 years before that trip, in 1947, another crossing of epic characteristics occurred. It was to prove that the pre-Columbian civilizations could have crossed the Pacific Ocean. From Peru to Polynesia for example. Why do idols, totems and fetishes look so much like the Incas and the tribes near New Zealand? This and other questions that obey scientific curiosity were the triggers of that trip, also on raft. The deed of Barragan has many coincidences with that of Thor Heyerdal. Both were in the same type of vessel, crossed oceans and in both cases a film record was made that ended in two documentaries released, curiously, four years after their respective trips. In the case of Kon Tiki (1950) he won the Oscar for best documentary. Finally, his version of fiction of the same name, is the film sent to the awards of the Academy of Hollywood in 2013, and is the one that now opens between us. Thor Heyerdal (Pål Sverre Hagen) is a skinny, tall scout scientist of caricature build, but very stubborn when it comes to testing his anthropological theories. He must live as he does the beings he studies. Under this premise he embarks with a group of men to carry out, in the raft that gives name to the work, the aforementioned expedition. Of course, "Kon Tiki, a fantastic trip" narrates the experience and its consequences. The Norwegian duo Joachim Rønning - Espen Sandberg has been working together for years. It shows in the final product. Both handle with narrative solvency both the preamble of the story, useful to the construction of the main character with his obsessions; as the development of the trip per se. They even had to modify one of the group's personalities. Thus we see Herman Watzinger (very well interpreted by Anders Baasmo Christiansen) as a fearful and skeptical crewman who brings some dramatic tints, to be able to sustain the tension generated by the defenseless aspect of the boat in front of the imposing water and its inclemency. Actually, the real trip came out too well. Enough to lack conflict. That's why the changes. Beautifully filmed, collated and photographed, "Kon Tiki, a fantastic journey" brings visuality more historical rigor to help the viewer understand the size of such a company. However, there is a choice of directors that at times threatens the narrative rhythm. While the first hour has an almost perfect drawing of the character, this leaves from the beginning of the journey onwards to be the absolute catalyst of everything that happens.