Film Review: "Against the Ice" 2022
Whiter than White National Mythology
A boat off Greenland
Of late I have re-awoken my fascination with the arctic and antarctic regions of the planet. My girlfriend bought me a book called ‘The White Darkness’ about the last polar expedition of Henry Worsely some years ago and it reminded me of my childhood interest in Captain Scott of the Arctic and his battle with the Norwegian Explorer Roald Amundsen to reach the South Pole. During a lengthy roadtrip the following year we listened to ‘Endurance’ Shackleton’s amazing survival story, and in 2018 we visited one of the northernmost points of Iceland. The exploration of these brutal regions could only be driven forward by the Indo-European spirit - and perhaps even more specifically the Anglo-Nord spirit. There aren’t many examples of brave Meds venturing into these desolate and beautiful regions. Something about the spirit of the Anglo and the Nord seem drawn to these places. The quest to explore the edge of the world and be the first to conquer them has drawn many men to these remote vistas. Many have met their end in the quest for exploration, others have survived with remarkable tales.
The stunning scenery of Greenland and Iceland set the backdrop for this whiter than white film. Against the Ice is about the incredible tale of Ejnar Mikkelsen and Iver Iversen recovering a map that confirmed the US had no claim to Greenland and securing Danish sovereignty over the territory. The former was a renowned arctic explorer and Danish patriot, the latter a humble mechanic. Both men would survive alone in Greenland for over two years in what is an incredible tale of survival and perseverance. It is genuinely surprising to find such films still being made in the modern era and released on Netflix of all places! This is a film that is fundamnentally about Nationalistic triumph and pride. Alongside it bravery, sheer grit, and elements of Nietzschean overcoming also soar as a supporting cast. Whilst the film is far from perfect it does offer a genuine reprieve from the horror of modern cinema in today’s day and age.
This film was written by Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau of Game of Thrones fame. Waldau is clearly a Danish patriot, who also plays the role of Mikkelsen. This film comes across as an attempt to bring this remarkable story to a wider audience. To generate feelings of respect and awe for these brave Danish adventurers from the past. The story is fascinating in its own right as a tale of survival but what underpins this tale of survival is the national pride present. These men were attempting to find out what happened to another expedition. They were also attempting to secure evidence assumed recorded in that expedition that countered US claims about portions of Greenland. Danish territory was at stake, national pride compelled Mikkelsen to risk life and limb. This is no mere tale of survival, this is about men doing things for the greatness of their nation. That theme is reflected most obviously in the film when Waldau’s Mikkelsen finds the cairn with the map and evidence Greenland is Danish. He is truly overwhelmed by emotion. He has done it, secured Denmark’s claim to this area and his sacrifice for the grander cause has been worth it. His companion Iversen, played by Joe Cole, is excited but more happy that the cairn also contained pemmican and a tin of soup. It could be argued Iversen represents the ‘everyman’ and Mikkelsen the aristocrat. The natural elite driven by more than their base instincts to reach for greatness. They pull the everyman along into greatness. Both celebrate and plot their return home over the victory soup.
The majority of the film centers upon Cole and Waldau and the dynamic between them makes up most of the human element present. The dialogue could certainly be described as somewhat sparse, but perhaps that is reflective of reality. These men spent over two years together in real life and did come from different parts of society. Cole’s Iversen states early on how surreal it is for him to be with a man he has read about in the newspapers and how he almost considers a hero. Waldau’s Mikkelsen grunts awkwardly and the moment passes. Each man comes to the others rescue at multiple times, from polar bear fights to exhorting onward movement. In some ways the dynamic forged between these two men feels more realistic because it is not overdone. They share small moments and clearly rely on each other. Stalwart friends in times of need. It is difficult to portray this kind of male relationship in a culture so obsessed with homosexuality. Just think of Peter Jackson’s attempts in LOTR - for all his positive intentions legions of drooling midwits make jokes and riff off the slightly awkward emotional acting between Frodo and Sam. They poison the well. The fact it is avoided here is testament to the cast, director and script.
The continued isolation of the men at the cabin plays out in a curious way. Mikkelsen the ‘aristocrat’ descends into waking hallucinations of escape and his lover, dancing with her and conversing with her. We as the viewer are treated to this whilst Iversen is always the one depicted doing the chores; feeding the stove, boiling water, looking for food or a ship. He has his own solitary hallucination moment but the focus is centered around the ‘Great Man’ of history, Mikkelsen. The nature of the story is that part of the film does revolve around these men being stuck alone abandoned whilst their former shipmates petition the cold Danish government for resources to rescue them. These sequences are perhaps the most awkward of the film as the pacing is very off. The viewer grows almost as uncomfortable at the unknown as the men in the film are. It would be nice to paint this as a technique but it is still a bit jarring. The film does suffer a bit from a lot happening to nothing happening combined with the abrupt cutaways from Greenland to short period costume scenes in Denmark.
Problems aside the story itself shines through. It really struck me that, as a proud Dane, Waldau, is putting forward a new mythology about a renowned hero of Denmark and showing his own country in a different light. It is a Denmark that once was a kind of Nordic colonial power house, with the vassal state of Iceland and colonies of Greenland. He is hoping to use cinema as a skald would use a poem in years past. Cement it into popular imagination once more. It is a story of many that are too eagerly forgotten in this day and age. Our culture is obsessed with the make believe heroes who fit the ideological flavor of the time. Tony Starks and Black Panthers are allowed to exist elevated, other stories are gender switched for ‘freshness’, others have black people inserted to meet an unspoken diversity quota. Here stands Against the Ice - standing against time. A simple tale of white men facing down the unknown on a quest for national glory. Truly it is a whiter than white look at national mythology.
