This film is a
reenactment of Thor Heyerdahl’s 4300-mile attempt to prove early settlers
from South American came to Polynesia by sailing across the Pacific on a simple
balsa wood raft. Heyerdahl tries
to get his unusual thesis published but every publisher rejects him. He decides the only way to prove his
theory is to make this journey. In
1947, the trip took 101 days and was financed by loans and donations. Five men also went on the trip and
it was filmed Heyerdahl. The film was made into
a documentary in 1951 and won an Academy Award. Heyerdah also wrote a book that sold 50 million copies and
was translated into 70 languages.
Most anthropologists
now believe that South Americans did not settle in Polynesia in pre-Columbian
times. Current studies indicate the
Lapita people are the cultural ancestors of modern Polynesians. Pottery samples resemble materials from
the Santa Cruz Islands in Melanesia. Also, in 2011, Professor Erik Thorsby of the University of Oslo presented DNA evidence,
which agreed with the west origin but also identified a distinctive but smaller
genetic contribution from South America.
Regardless of the theories, still a good adventure movie! 3 ½* (I liked this movie)
96
min, Drama directed by Espen Sandberg, Joachim Ranning with Pal Sverre Hagen,
Anders Baasmo Chruistiansen, Tobias Santelmann, Gustaf Skarsgard, Odd Mangus
Williamson, Jakob Oftebro, Agnes Kittelsen, Peter Wight.
Note: Blockbuster 3 1/2*, imdb 7.2 out of 10,
84% critic 78% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.
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