Set in 1985 in Antarctica, The Icebreaker brings the dramatic adventure of a Soviet icebreaker ship to the screen and keeps the audience glued to their seats with its suspense and action scenes.
The main story of the movie begins when the icebreaker ship Mikhail Gromov gets completely stuck in the glaciers after it faces the risk of hitting a gigantic iceberg. The crew's attempt to rescue the ship turns into an attempt to save their own lives.
When it comes to saving one's own life, people's exasperation, disagreements and tensions seem to be the motifs of the story.
The progress of the ship that breaks through the ice on the ocean and the competition within the ship about the route the ship will take is definitely worth watching. The dialog and the rivalry between the characters, which I have seen in the Russian-made films I have seen before, are very much felt in this film.
While the route the ship will take takes on the tension of the story on its own and succeeds, the rivalry on the ship and the mutiny that breaks out takes on the action side of the story. I can say that the way the life stories of the characters were combined with the main theme of the movie was one of the small details that were effective in the success.
When the consequences are taken into account and the struggle becomes a joint one, it is common for the characters to find common ground and risk dying for the same cause. However, in such stories, it is not always possible to see character transitions and character reflections that continue to strengthen the character. I have to admit that in many of the Russian films I have seen, I liked the character reflections extra much.
In films based on true stories, we don't know to what extent they stick to the truth, but when we look at the integrity of the story, we can notice some exaggerations or efforts to create heroes in themselves. In my opinion, this situation decreases the momentum of the story and negatively affects the atmosphere it creates. Although there are characters who try to stand out in the movie, I can easily say that there is no such negativity. At least, I can say that the movie sticks to real life, if not to the real story.
In general terms, the movie is more than just a disaster movie. It also deals with man's struggle with nature and the psychological difficulties he experiences during this struggle. It can also be watched to see the ebb and flow of the characters' attempts to save their own lives. I highly recommend you to watch The Icebreaker.
Thank you for being here and reading, take care and goodbye!