Breaking Surface is a 2020 Swedish-Norwegian survival drama film directed by Joachim Hedén. It portrays what is both an emotional and a physical ordeal of two half-sisters during a diving trip in winter. They must rely on one another and on endurance and love to get through a winter diving trip crisis.
Visually, the film is appealing. It is emotionally capturing to tell a story of personal endurance set in a unique fully frozen coastline of Norway. It is emotionally as well as visually appealing, enduring and connected. It is a film about personal survival as well as emotional family healing, which is what makes it unique.
Synopsis: A Dive That Turns into a Test of Will
Ida and Tuva are half-sisters with a complex history and an equally complex relationship. During the winter season, following the holidays, they head to the Norwegian coast to a spot where they had previously spent time as a family. Their mother, Anne, is supposed to be joining them, but is sick at the last minute and therefore, the two sisters have to go alone.
In the beginning, the sisters have a peaceful trip. The cold environment, the calm scenery, and the sisters’ relationship, all seem to predict a coherent bond. But, when they descend into the cold, down into the deep, and into the ocean, everything shifts from a trip into a test of the will to survive. The sudden rockfall during the dive changes everything. While deep in the water, Tuva becomes trapped under the heavy rockfall.
Ida is forced to smash the surface, deep down her sister is trapped and quickly losing air. But, they are in a remote place, with no aid, and with little to no diving resources. Ida must depend on her strength, and must gather every emotion that would help her find a way to release her sister.
As the hours drag on and the pressure mounts, the film becomes a profound reflection on the themes of family, the burden of guilt, the complexity of forgiveness, and the extreme measures we take to love and protect those we cherish.
Characters and Performances
Ida, played by Moa Gammel, has been the elder sister and has had the emotional burden the longest. Gammel portrays a mix of stillness and emotional turmoil, showcasing a character frozen by fear, yet driven by a forceful need to push on. The memory of a childhood incident in which Tuva was in considerable danger under her supervision haunts her. This incident from the past, largely forgotten, continues to impact her present in a profound, albeit understated, way.
Tuva, played by Madeleine Martin, is the younger sister. Competent and self-assured, she is the most level-headed of the characters. The bond between Tuva and Ida is complex, retaining still a sense of affection. The sisters, for all their emotional distance, remain connected. Despite being the physically trapped character in the situation, Tuva, all the way, psychically, emotionally, and metaphysically, is the trapped character.
Anne, their mother, has been the shadow character, secondary, yet, influential on both the daughters. The emotional intricacies of the childhood memories, and her presence in the sisters’ lives, layered the story.
Considering that the drama in the film mostly takes place in or around the water, the performers act with limited dialogue and minimal face animation, especially when in masks and scuba equipment. Still, the actors manage to induce powerful emotions and connections with just their silhouettes and sensitive gestures.
Themes and Symbolism
- Sisterhood and Emotional Bonds
At the center of the film is the relationship between Ida and Tuva. Though they have a bond that stretches back to childhood, like many siblings, their lives as adults have gone in different directions. Their ordeal, however, in this case serves to renew the bond. The film illustrates how the history of siblings, even if it serves as the backdrop of silence and regret, is strong enough to anchor love.
- Guilt and Redemption
Ida has a childhood memory of a time when she tried to protect her sister, and feels as if she failed. That haunting experience defined her adult self in matters of her responsibility and self-accountability. In the current situation, Ida feels the need to help Tuva, and in doing so, she just might be able to forgive herself. Ida’s actions throughout the film serve as a spiral to the rejuvenation of her spirit.
- Nature as a Test of Spirit
The film depicts the vastness and indifference of nature as a Test of Human Spirit. The freezing waters, the desolate landscape, and the remote setting pose extreme challenges to the sisters and to all of us as a reminder of how small we are, in the face of the great, indifferent natural world. Against this, human spirit, courage, and determination are even more striking.
- Isolation and Self-Reliance
Ida is cut off and so she must rely solely on her instincts and scant personal resources. Her ability to remain calm and focused is what drives the story forward. Self reliance is a theme in many survival films, but in Breaking Surface, it is also accompanied by emotional depth and personal evolution.
Cinematography and Technical Achievements
Breaking Surface is striking in its visual presentation. The Norwegian coast, under cold and calm waters, sets a breathtaking and eerie scene of the unfolding drama. The essence of underwater cinematography is its ability to capture both beauty and the claustrophobic feeling of deep-sea diving. Emotionally, characters in the film are on a journey that is mirrored by the disparity between the chaos of the world above and the calm, closed, and silent world under the surface.
The sound design deepens the viewer’s immersion. The diving equipment’s drone, the muted sounds of the underwater movements, and the minimalistic score heighten tension and elicit a sense of realism. The film has a rhythm that keeps its audience engrossed due to the precise editing and the brief running time.
Reception and Legacy
The emotional authenticity of the film, its powerful acting, and the intertwining of stories on survival and a more intimate focus garnered Breaking Surface enthusiastic reception from audiences and critics alike. The film’s concentration on the intricacies of its casts’ psychological worlds instead of on flamboyant action sequences and external conflict comported a sense of emotional truth.
The film’s central story of family and forgiveness encompasses the emotionally cathartic and challenging idea of confronting a painful past. While the stakes within the narrative are critical, the film’s emotional restraint, and the pointedness of its storytelling amplify the emotive core.
A Quiet Yet Powerful Survival Story
Breaking Surface is a film that transcends ordinary survival tales. It is about confronting one’s fears, coming to terms with one’s past, and deriving power from love. The film captures endurance, forgiveness, and growth through the relationship of two sisters and the stark beauty of the natural world.
The narrative implores the audience to contemplate the relational bonds within their own lives and the remarkable endurance of ties, particularly in the face of adversity, rather than merely witnessing a confrontation. Breaking Surface is a poignant and stunning film, and it very much deserves a place in the contemporary survival cinema.
Watch Free Movies on Fmovies