The Sea Wolf (2009)

Directed by: Mike Barker | 178 minutes | drama, adventure, romance | Actors: Sebastian Koch, Tim Roth, Neve Campbell, Stephen Campbell Moore, Andrew Jackson, Tobias Schenke, John Beale, Genevieve Steele, Daniel Lillford, Brian Heighton, Richard Donat, Raquel Duffy, Carrie Neville, Marcello Bezina, Dion Johnstone, Maxwell McCabe -Lokos

Life as a sailor is no fun. And certainly not in 1902. A period in which morals are still fairly rough and lives are ended in the blink of an eye. This is what Humphrey van Weyden, a self-proclaimed intellectual and basically a wimp, soon finds out when he falls off a boat and ends up in the ocean. He is picked up by Captain Wolf Larsen’s schooner. He and his crew leave for Japan to hunt for seals. Larsen rules with an iron fist and regularly uses a lot of violence. For Humphrey, his stay at sea becomes a brutal nightmare.

This story is better known as ‘The Sea Wolf’. This book has to be the most famous work of American author Jack London. Since 1913, numerous films and series have appeared with the background of the cruel life on the Ghost, Wolf Larsen’s ship.

The two-part series ‘The Sea Wolf’ is the last in line for now. London referred in his book to such learned men as Darwin, Shakespeare, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche. The attentive reader will therefore discover that this publication transcends the adventure novel. Consolidating more than three hundred pages into three hours of television therefore seems like a feat. It goes without saying that entire fragments of content are lost. What appears on the screen guarantees the necessary tension. Especially the verbal jousts between Weyden and Larsen provide content. Larsen mainly shows his inhuman side. But behind this obnoxious attitude is a well-read man. Weyden is therefore a suitable opponent for some psychological war. Another antagonist of Larsen shows up in the guise of his own brother. And the two pebble heads have quite a bit of unspoken frustrations towards each other. This fratricidal quarrel must therefore end with a seaman’s grave.

This new interpretation is very entertaining. It’s nice to see some old-fashioned action again. At the most memorable scene, the seal hunt, we had to swallow. This gruesome scene takes a while. More pleasant news is the presence of Tim Roth. With visibly sardonic pleasure, he uses his characteristic tronie to take on the role of evil lord. And that suits him well. His character isn’t called Death Larsen for nothing. For once, Neve Campbell isn’t being chased by a masked madman. She may show up as a love interest. The German Sebastian Koch triumphs again as the unwavering Wolf.

‘Sea Wolf’ is solid and made with respect for the work of Jack London.