Against the Ice
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Against the Ice
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know Against the Ice is a survivalist tale based on a true story that involves a perilous and, in some cases, deadly trek across the icy Arctic to claim Greenland for Denmark rather than the United States. The men who embark on the journey in the early 1900s follow others who have failed, including one who upon return must have his frostbitten toes crudely amputated with only whiskey to dull the pain. They encounter dead frozen bodies and suffer bear attacks and treacherous conditions. Sled dogs have to be sacrificed (including shot at close range) or die in other ways; their meat feeds the remaining dogs. The pair bond on the trek, demonstrating courage, perseverance, and friendship. They share early memories of their sexual educations, including a prostitute and a hospital ward for patients with venereal diseases. They talk about what they miss about women, and one man dreams about his girlfriend. They eventually kiss. Language includes "f--k," "s--t," and "idiot."
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What's the Story?
In AGAINST THE ICE, two men set out across the Arctic ice cap in northern Greenland to try to retrieve the findings of another Danish expedition that went missing. It's 1910, and the explorers are looking to confirm the existence of a channel of water that the Americans claim gives them rights to a separate area of land. After a first failed attempt, Captain Ejnar Mikkelsen (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) plans to try again. Young, inexperienced mechanic Iver Iversen (Joe Cole) is the only volunteer to join him. The two set out on what transforms into a multi-year tale of survival.
Is It Any Good?
This tough epic of two lone explorers surviving in a brutal natural environment is surprisingly captivating. With grey-toned cinematography and a minimalist polar setting (filmed in Iceland), Against the Ice is effective at conveying the brutal conditions these early twentieth-century explorers faced. "It's like we landed on the moon," one character notes, and indeed it looks that way at moments. It also feels as far away from civilization. The pair's bonding over a postcard image of a group of women becomes essentially their only connection with the outside world.
As a character study, Coster-Waldau and Cole communicate emotions, fears, and hard-earned complicity in understated ways. Iver is clearly wide-eyed at the opportunity to accompany a storied hero, and he slowly chips away at the captain's standoffishness. A section where both men begin losing touch with reality is perhaps the least interesting, in part precisely because of the realism of the rest of the film. It's luckily not dragged out. An ongoing theme involves the unveiling in the same years of the "unsinkable" Titanic. The message is that while that boat did famously sink, these men lived through unbelievably harsh conditions and isolation, and they made it through.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the true story behind Against the Ice. Where could you find more information about the actual people and history? How has Greenland been in the news again more recently?
What do you make of the United States and Denmark fighting over territory not on or near either of their shores? What moral questions does this history of colonization of territories elicit?
How does Iver's temperament and personality differ from Captain's? Do they complement each other?
How would you describe the environment of the Arctic seen in this movie? Do you think the movie does a realistic job of portraying it? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: March 2, 2022
- Cast: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Joe Cole, Heida Reed
- Director: Peter Flinth
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Adventures, Book Characters, Friendship, History, Science and Nature, Wild Animals
- Character Strengths: Courage, Perseverance
- Run time: 103 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: March 4, 2022
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