Kon-Tiki (2012)

Legendary explorer Thor Heyerdahl's epic 4,300-mile crossing of the Pacific on a balsawood raft in 1947, in an effort to prove that it was possible for South Americans to settle in Polynesia in pre-Columbian times.

Directors:

Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg

Writer:

Petter Skavlan

Stars:

Pål Sverre Hagen, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Gustaf Skarsgård

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 12 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Pål Sverre Hagen	...	Thor Heyerdahl (as Pål Hagen)
Anders Baasmo Christiansen	...	Herman Watzinger
Tobias Santelmann	...	Knut Haugland
Gustaf Skarsgård	...	Bengt Danielsson
Odd-Magnus Williamson	...	Erik Hesselberg
Jakob Oftebro	...	Torstein Raaby
Agnes Kittelsen	...	Liv Heyerdahl
Peter Wight	...	Spinden
Amund Hellum Noraker	...	Bamse
Eilif Hellum Noraker	...	Thor Jr.
Elisabeth Matheson	...	Allison
Kasper Arneberg Johnsen	...	Thor 6 yrs. (as Kasper Ameberg Johnsen)
Edward Kling	...	Erik 7 yrs.
Jo Adrian Haavind	...	Journalist
Jonas Heier Straumsheim	...	Photographer

Storyline

The Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl crossed the Pacific Ocean in a balsawood raft in 1947, together with five men, to prove that South Americans back in pre-Columbian times could have crossed the ocean and settled on Polynesian islands. After financing the trips with loans and donations, they set off on an epic 101-day-long trip across 8000 kilometers, while the world was waiting for the result of the trip. The film tells about the origin of the idea, the preparations, and the events on the trip. The "Kon-Tiki" was named after the Inca sun god, Viracocha, and "Kon-Tiki" is an old name for this god. Heyerdahl filmed the expedition, which later became the Academy Award winning documentary in 1951, and he wrote a book about the expedition that was translated into 70 languages and sold more than 50 millions copies around the world. Heyerdahl believed that people from South America could have settled Polynesia in pre-Columbian times, although most anthropologists now believe they did not...

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Plot Keywords:

pacific ocean | based on true story | ocean crossing | ocean | expedition | 

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Taglines:

Based on the incredible true story!

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

M

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's producer, Jeremy Thomas, had wanted to make the film since 1996 and was granted the rights to the story by Thor Heyerdahl before the latter's death in 2002.

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Goofs

When Thor translates the Polynesian chief's words from French to English for Liv, he actually translates phrases before the chief has said them.

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Quotes

Bustamente: [Walking toward Thor, sit down on a bank] Mr. Heyerdahl?
Thor Heyerdahl: [taking him wrongly by a waiter] Just a glass of water, please.
Bustamente: I'm José Bustamante.
[Peru's president]
Thor Heyerdahl: [standing up fastly] Your Excellency. Thank you for seeing me.
Bustamente: What can I do for you?
Thor Heyerdahl: Actually, I'm here to tell you about something I can do for you.
Bustamente: And what might that be?
Thor Heyerdahl: By crossing the Pacific for 5,000 miles. I will prove that Peruvian natives were the first to settle Polynesia.
Bustamente: [surprised] What? Peruvians discovered Polynesia? And how may I ...

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Crazy Credits

Before the closing credits, short clips are shown in which original footage shot by Heyerdahl was reenacted by the "Kon-Tiki" actors: urinating overboard in the open sea, dancing with natives under palms, portraits, and the like. Along with this, brief notes concerning each crew member's path of life after the trip are given.

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Alternate Versions

In an unusual technique, the film was shot simultaneously in both Norwegian and English, with each scene being filmed twice, first in Norwegian and then in English, with the same actors. This resulted in two versions of the film to be released, one primarily for the Norwegian domestic market, the other for an international audience. In a few cases, such as action scenes and computer-generated sequences, they used the same shot, later adding English with dubbing.

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Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: Pain & Gain (2013)

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Soundtracks

Flickan i Havanna
("The girl in Havana")
Lyrics by Evert Taube (as Taube) and music by Horatio R. Palmer (as Palmer)

User Reviews

All hats off to hard-boiled Nordics on a raft

This movie is seriously good.

I'm not saying this just because I'm Norwegian and extremely proud that my country managed to produce this amazing adventure. Kon-Tiki is definitely one of the most original, well- written and fun films I've seen this year.

It's the 1940s. Without spoiling the story (which is real by the way), we are invited to follow Thor Heyerdahl as he gathers a crew of overly confident Scandinavians attempting to cross the Pacific on a balsa wood raft. All in the name of science and a boyish thirst for adventure! This attitude is understandable; after enduring the misery of WW2, little seemed more tempting than escaping to faraway exotic lands. Bravery or stupidity? In either case, viewers can look forward to one hell of a boat ride.

What I adore about Kon-Tiki is the presentation of the raft's surroundings. The Pacific Ocean is just as magnificent and beautiful as it is dangerous and merciless, and this dynamic is perfectly balanced. Peaceful waters and clear skies suddenly give way for dangerous sea- creatures and storms mighty enough to tear the old-fashioned raft apart. Kon-Tiki is simply grand. At times my adrenaline rose, my heart started pumping, and I started lusting for adventure myself - just by watching.

Another strong point is the cast. The actors do a brilliant job at depicting the slightly eccentric yet adventurous Scandinavians far away from their Nordic comfort zone. Thor Heyerdahl is particularly well portrayed with his dreamer-like attitude and awkward English skills. Although I would prefer more emphasis on character development, Kon-Tiki make them just interesting enough for viewers to care for them.

Kon-Tiki is such a delight to watch, because it's original, different and not your typical Hollywood adventure flick. No, the plot is not complex. It has no twists or turns, and Kon-Tiki certainly doesn't contain the amount of drama you'd expect. And this is what makes it good - the film is all about the sheer excitement of the adventure. Of course it isn't perfect, but for a Norwegian film, I'd say it holds its ground rather strongly.

I honestly haven't had this much fun with a film for a long while. If you're lucky, Kon-Tiki might show up on a festival or international cinema near you. In that case, do watch it.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Facebook [Germany]

Country:

UK Norway Denmark Germany Sweden

Language:

Norwegian English French Swedish Spanish

Release Date:

16 May 2013 (New Zealand)

Also Known As:

Кон-Тики

Filming Locations:

Maldives

Box Office

Budget:

$16,600,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$22,168, 28 April 2013

Gross USA:

$1,517,410

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$22,842,887

Company Credits

Production Co:

Recorded Picture Company (RPC), Roenbergfilm, Nordisk Film Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1