All Is Lost (English, 2013)

Robert Redford as the old sailor shows his class in holding the screen alone for close to 100 minutes with ease. Other than the odd frustrated cuss word, there is absolutely no dialogue from him in the film and it is remarkable that he has been able to convey his emotions so vividly on screen.

The cinematography is of prime importance in such a film which is devoid of any other characters other than the protagonist. The intermittent shots of the sea and the underwater shots are enchanting. One important point to be noted here is that the usage of long shots to show the absolute lack of any activity in the sea is limited. Instead, the film is full of close-up shots that bring the audience very close to the sailor’s struggles.

That the film is nominated for Sound Editing in the Oscars 2014 is no surprise. The audience is immersed not only into the ferocious storm because of the ear-splitting howling of the winds but also into the bland sea experience with the constant winds & waves.

The conviction of writer-director, J. C. Chandor in convincingly portraying a sailor’s struggles without bowing down to any commercial elements should be appreciated.