The Quake – Skjelvet (2018)

Directed by: John Andreas Andersen | 108 minutes | action, drama | Actors: Kristoffer Joner, Ane Dahl Torp, Edith Haagenrud-Sande, Kathrine Thorborg Johansen, Jonas Hoff Oftebro, Stig R. Amdam, Catrin Sagen, Per Frisch, Hanna Skogstad, Runar Døving, Agnes Bryhn Røysamb, David Kosek, Fredrik Skavlan, Ravdeep Singh Bajwa

In ‘The Wave’ (Bølgen), the film’s predecessor, the rustic Norwegian fjord town of Geiranger was engulfed by a tsunami. Geologist Kristian Eikjord (Kristoffer Joner) suspected the impending doom, but fell on deaf ears during his last working day. Risking his own life, he saved his family and countless other villagers from certain drowning. Despite this, Kristian feels like he fell short and could have saved more people by acting sooner. Three years later, the geologist is seen as a hero by the country, but is himself an emotional wreck full of guilt. Separated from wife and children, and alive as a disguised hermit, he sees approaching disaster everywhere. Often wrongly, but not always…

When he receives the research results of a deceased colleague, Kristian comes to a shocking conclusion: in 1904 a huge earthquake completely destroyed large parts of Oslo. Seismological measurements show that a similar catastrophe is imminent today. And where does his estranged family live? In the heart of Oslo of course. In an attempt to be on time this time, Kristian first tries to bring the further disaster to the attention through the official channels. But they again do not give in and declare the geologist cum hero crazy. To save his family, Kristian must take matters into his own hands.

The disaster film has been a popular genre since the 1970s. The rise of modern computer technology has meant that recent Hollywood disaster films mainly string the explosions together and are often entertaining but largely meaningless no-brainers. The Norwegian makers of ‘The Quake’, on the other hand, take a different, more subtle approach. Instead of going straight to the point, a slow and steady build-up is chosen that gives viewers ample opportunity to get acquainted with the main characters. That works well: you have plenty of time to bond with Kristian and his family, as the threat of the earthquake heralded by the title grows ever greater and eventually swells to truly disastrous proportions.

Despite the space that is set aside for character development, ‘The Quake’ is also visually anything but disappointing. The eventual catastrophe, which largely wipes Oslo off the map, is impressive and at times breathtakingly beautifully portrayed, while the scenes in which Kristian with his wife and daughter are trapped in an overturned skyscraper are real nail biters. There are occasional slightly implausible moments (for example, the constant skepticism among the ‘experts’ about the impending earthquake given the events of the past) in the story that pave the way a bit too ostentatiously to a scenario of disaster and destruction, but those ultimately do little harm to the whole.

‘The Quake’ is a great disaster movie. The print starts a bit slowly, but in the end it succeeds excellently in bringing character development and action together harmoniously in an exciting and entertaining story.