Footage, narratives, subject, honesty. This hits all emotions and captivates you start to finish.
95 Reviews
Absolutely Amazing!!
sgimera-3491717 May 2019
A great story powerfully told
Bertaut18 April 2019
Aside from space, there can be no working environment as potentially dangerous, perilously exacting, and psychologically isolating as the ocean floor. Colloquially known as "doing sat", saturation diving is a technique to reduce decompression sickness amongst divers who work at great depths for long periods. Living in either an onboard pressurised capsule or a self-sustaining pressurised underwater habitat, divers breathe a helium-oxygen mix that prevents nitrogen narcosis, transferring to and from the work site via a pressurised diving bell. Written by Alex Parkinson and directed by Parkinson and Richard da Costa, Last Breath is the latest in the man vs. nature subgenre of documentary filmmaking. Using a mixture of talking head interviews, black box footage, camcorder material, and excellently mounted reconstructions, the film plays like an underwater survival thriller. And although the directors' insistence on building to a predictable and overly manipulated pseudo-twist undermines the seriousness of the material somewhat, with the story needing no such embellishment, this is still a superbly realised film; tense and fascinating, informatively dealing with a subject about which the vast majority of people will know next-to-nothing.
September 18, 2012; the commercial engineering ship Bibby Topaz is 115 miles off the coast of Scotland in the North Sea, assigned with testing the safety of a drilling manifold in the Huntington Oil Field. Descending in the diving bell are the relatively inexperienced Chris Lemons, the stoic David Yuasa (so much so, his nickname is "Vulcan"), and Lemons's mentor and father-figure Duncan Allcock. As the men descend, the Topaz is hit with bad weather, although not bad enough to cancel the dive (with dive supervisor Craig Frederick explaining, "we were at the limits of diving, but it wasn't undivable"). As Lemons and Yuasa begin working, Allcock remains in the bell to feed out the divers' "umbilicals"; a mass of cables that brings them warm water, light, and oxygen, and keeps them connected to the Topaz's computer and AV systems. At a depth of 300 feet, in pitch blackness, with ten times atmospheric pressure and temperatures just above freezing, without an umbilical, a diver can't last long. With the Topaz locked into position by its Dynamic Positioning (DP) system, everything is going well until the system inexplicably fails, something no one on the boat had ever seen happen. With winds now reaching 35 knots, causing 18-foot swells, the Topaz quickly begins to drift out of position, dragging the bell with it, which in turn drags the men via their umbilicals. Frederick immediately orders Lemons and Yuasa back to the bell, but Lemons's umbilical snags on the manifold, and after being pulled taut, eventually snaps. With only five minutes of emergency oxygen in his reserve tanks, and cut off from all contact with the bell and the surface, his crewmates are horrified to realise it will take them at least 30 minutes to return to their position and try to find him. That's if they can even regain control of the Topaz's DP at all.
Although the talking head interviews are a little flat, the rest of Last Breath looks great, with the reconstructions so well done (it helps that the actual participants play themselves) that they blend seamlessly with the footage shot from the divers' helmet-cams and the Topaz's cameras. The film opens with "first-person" camcorder footage of Lemons giving a tour of the Topaz, explained naturally insofar as he and his fiancée, Morag Martin, tended to send one-another videos rather than writing emails or letters. This inculcates the audience immediately into the milieu, insofar as Lemons is literally explaining the workings of the job, especially important in introducing the concept of saturation diving. Once the repair begins, the film adopts an almost pseudo-science-fiction tone, with the foregrounding of unfamiliar equipment and complex ship computer systems, reminding me of something like The Abyss (1989) or Leviathan (1989).
Also aesthetically important is the score by Paul Leonard-Morgan. Is he aping Hans Zimmer? Absolutely. But there are worse composers to emulate, and it's still an extremely effective score, a little overwrought in places, but it does its job admirably, especially in a scene which sees Yuasa set out to try to find Lemons, with Parkinson and Da Costa using Yuasa's narration over shots of each interviewee silently reflecting on the incident, and Morgan's evocative score swelling in the background.
The film's structure is both its greatest strength and, perhaps, it's most significant failing. It's difficult to discuss this aspect without spoilers, but essentially, Parkinson and Da Costa introduce a twist of sorts in the last act, and the documentary then literally rewinds to give us the perspective of an interviewee we haven't seen up to this point. It's both an interesting and irritating technique; interesting insofar as you don't usually see that kind of structural trickery in a documentary, irritating because it's wholly unnecessary. The directors would have been better served to simply trust in the strength of their story, which is more than able to stand on its own, sans embellishments. And although it isn't as damaging as a similar example in Three Identical Strangers (2018), primarily because the surrounding material is handled more competently, with less crass emotional manipulation, it is nevertheless an ill-advised technique to introduce in a form supposed to eschew sensationalism and narrative chicanery. This is compounded by the fact that it's easy to see it coming, and anyone who spends more than 20 seconds looking into the film will have the twist spoiled, rendering it pointless at best, distracting at worst; running the risk of lessening the impact of the psychological effects that the incident had on the people involved. On the other hand, there's no denying that the structure adds to the mounting tension, I'm just not 100% convinced that the trade-off is worth it.
This misstep notwithstanding, Last Breath is an excellent piece of documentary filmmaking. Although it's not quite up to the dizzying standards of something like One Day in September (1999), Ônibus 174 (2002), Touching the Void (2003), or Under the Wire (2018), there's still a lot to recommend it. Combining elements of the survival documentary subgenre with the aesthetic tropes of the submarine/submersible movie, the film admirably conveys what for these men is a normal working day; claustrophobia, isolation, an unforgiving environment. Cogently depicting the very strong bonds that form in such circumstances, the film presents a group of very likeable people who have as much respect for one another as they do reverence for the ocean in which they ply their trade. In one respect, it's a story of blue-collar solidarity, in another, it's a slick thriller. Providing plenty of material for the audience with which to empathise, Last Breath is as worth checking out for its quieter human elements as it is for its grandiose struggle against-the-odds storyline.
September 18, 2012; the commercial engineering ship Bibby Topaz is 115 miles off the coast of Scotland in the North Sea, assigned with testing the safety of a drilling manifold in the Huntington Oil Field. Descending in the diving bell are the relatively inexperienced Chris Lemons, the stoic David Yuasa (so much so, his nickname is "Vulcan"), and Lemons's mentor and father-figure Duncan Allcock. As the men descend, the Topaz is hit with bad weather, although not bad enough to cancel the dive (with dive supervisor Craig Frederick explaining, "we were at the limits of diving, but it wasn't undivable"). As Lemons and Yuasa begin working, Allcock remains in the bell to feed out the divers' "umbilicals"; a mass of cables that brings them warm water, light, and oxygen, and keeps them connected to the Topaz's computer and AV systems. At a depth of 300 feet, in pitch blackness, with ten times atmospheric pressure and temperatures just above freezing, without an umbilical, a diver can't last long. With the Topaz locked into position by its Dynamic Positioning (DP) system, everything is going well until the system inexplicably fails, something no one on the boat had ever seen happen. With winds now reaching 35 knots, causing 18-foot swells, the Topaz quickly begins to drift out of position, dragging the bell with it, which in turn drags the men via their umbilicals. Frederick immediately orders Lemons and Yuasa back to the bell, but Lemons's umbilical snags on the manifold, and after being pulled taut, eventually snaps. With only five minutes of emergency oxygen in his reserve tanks, and cut off from all contact with the bell and the surface, his crewmates are horrified to realise it will take them at least 30 minutes to return to their position and try to find him. That's if they can even regain control of the Topaz's DP at all.
Although the talking head interviews are a little flat, the rest of Last Breath looks great, with the reconstructions so well done (it helps that the actual participants play themselves) that they blend seamlessly with the footage shot from the divers' helmet-cams and the Topaz's cameras. The film opens with "first-person" camcorder footage of Lemons giving a tour of the Topaz, explained naturally insofar as he and his fiancée, Morag Martin, tended to send one-another videos rather than writing emails or letters. This inculcates the audience immediately into the milieu, insofar as Lemons is literally explaining the workings of the job, especially important in introducing the concept of saturation diving. Once the repair begins, the film adopts an almost pseudo-science-fiction tone, with the foregrounding of unfamiliar equipment and complex ship computer systems, reminding me of something like The Abyss (1989) or Leviathan (1989).
Also aesthetically important is the score by Paul Leonard-Morgan. Is he aping Hans Zimmer? Absolutely. But there are worse composers to emulate, and it's still an extremely effective score, a little overwrought in places, but it does its job admirably, especially in a scene which sees Yuasa set out to try to find Lemons, with Parkinson and Da Costa using Yuasa's narration over shots of each interviewee silently reflecting on the incident, and Morgan's evocative score swelling in the background.
The film's structure is both its greatest strength and, perhaps, it's most significant failing. It's difficult to discuss this aspect without spoilers, but essentially, Parkinson and Da Costa introduce a twist of sorts in the last act, and the documentary then literally rewinds to give us the perspective of an interviewee we haven't seen up to this point. It's both an interesting and irritating technique; interesting insofar as you don't usually see that kind of structural trickery in a documentary, irritating because it's wholly unnecessary. The directors would have been better served to simply trust in the strength of their story, which is more than able to stand on its own, sans embellishments. And although it isn't as damaging as a similar example in Three Identical Strangers (2018), primarily because the surrounding material is handled more competently, with less crass emotional manipulation, it is nevertheless an ill-advised technique to introduce in a form supposed to eschew sensationalism and narrative chicanery. This is compounded by the fact that it's easy to see it coming, and anyone who spends more than 20 seconds looking into the film will have the twist spoiled, rendering it pointless at best, distracting at worst; running the risk of lessening the impact of the psychological effects that the incident had on the people involved. On the other hand, there's no denying that the structure adds to the mounting tension, I'm just not 100% convinced that the trade-off is worth it.
This misstep notwithstanding, Last Breath is an excellent piece of documentary filmmaking. Although it's not quite up to the dizzying standards of something like One Day in September (1999), Ônibus 174 (2002), Touching the Void (2003), or Under the Wire (2018), there's still a lot to recommend it. Combining elements of the survival documentary subgenre with the aesthetic tropes of the submarine/submersible movie, the film admirably conveys what for these men is a normal working day; claustrophobia, isolation, an unforgiving environment. Cogently depicting the very strong bonds that form in such circumstances, the film presents a group of very likeable people who have as much respect for one another as they do reverence for the ocean in which they ply their trade. In one respect, it's a story of blue-collar solidarity, in another, it's a slick thriller. Providing plenty of material for the audience with which to empathise, Last Breath is as worth checking out for its quieter human elements as it is for its grandiose struggle against-the-odds storyline.
Fascinating
anamc-893-38907221 May 2019
Wow just wow
rivanerakaren27 August 2019
Unmissable
alemrr4 March 2019
An amazing "Docu-drama" proving that real life can be more dramatic than fiction. Great insight into the life and demands of being a modern day "saturation" diver. The story focuses on one individual's fight for survival following catastrophic equipment failure, but manages to produce a roller coaster of emotion, with the audience laughing nervously one minute and deathly silent the next, as the drama unfolds. Not to be missed.
Rather Touching
frosty-4443117 May 2021
Tense and emotional
al1-316 May 2019
I liken this to the other great docu style movie, Touching the Void.
Passing back and forth between the people that were there, some reconstruction and real footage, it never lets up from the start.
Emotions run up and down as various people recount what happened, it's easy to get swept into it and feel their pain.
A simply amazing story and I don't see a better way of telling it.
Human stories such as these help remind you how we take each day for granted, until unforeseen events like this come around and everything and everyone become so much important again. Take care.
Human stories such as these help remind you how we take each day for granted, until unforeseen events like this come around and everything and everyone become so much important again. Take care.
Everything wrong
robbertglas9 February 2022
When the GPS coupled computers, three of them, simultaneously brake down the captain does two things: he un-couples the navigation computer and takes over manually and a hard computer reset (wich would have solved the problem instantly). Instead he uses the ships harbour docking system to maneuver in a storm. Impossible.
Further more when the ship is adrift he should immediately sound red alert for all crew, not after 15 minutes.
The computer reset occurs after the damage is done. Unbelievable.
Further more when the ship is adrift he should immediately sound red alert for all crew, not after 15 minutes.
The computer reset occurs after the damage is done. Unbelievable.
Cool story, but it's a drama *not* a documentary...
rwolf-2196710 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I've never done hard hat diving, but I've been to 300' on tri-mix and regularly dive to 200'. There is a *lot* of basic information about what actually happened that they aren't showing us.
They imply that he wasn't breathing for ~25 minutes. Since they said he only had 5 minutes of bailout gas. But technical divers are *very* conservative in their gas planning.
They drill the "only 5 minutes" into them in training because the only legitimate use of the bailout bottle is to return to the bell ASAP. They are not to dawdle or attempt to complete their job.
But I saw their bailout bottles. The look like LP70s or 85s. It's common among tech divers to overfill scuba tanks. So a tank that is 70 cf at 2400 psi will hold ~ 90 cf at 3200 psi. So he had a gas supply of ~180cf.
A calm diver has a surface air consumption rate of about 0.5 cfm. In a crisis that easily doubles to 1 cfm. Then the rate you use it goes up with increasing pressure. So at 300 meters, they would be at 31 ata. (every 10m = 1 ata, and you had 1 to start with) At that depth it really is only good for 180cf/31*1cfm = 5.8 minutes.
But at 100 meters it's good for 16 minutes. Once he got to the top of the structure and stopped exerting himself, maybe longer. Suppose he got 20 minutes out of it. After that he had to hold his breath. 10 minute might seem like a long time, but the record for 'static apnea' with oxygen pre-breathing is 24 minutes.
He ran out of gas and passed out. His buddies got to him with very little time left and had to revive him with mouth to mouth. But it's not like his heart stopped. (If it had, just doing mouth to mouth would not be effective)
A real documentary would have gone into their training more and include a debrief with lessons learned. There are a lot of things they could have done differently. (I had to stop myself from yelling out suggestions) But as a diver I still have a lot of unanswered questions after watching the movie.
So it's a nice drama. If you like sitting on the edge of your seat praying for miracles, you'll love this film. Despite it's flaws I'm glad I watched it and learned a few things. I just wished it stimulated the left 1/2 of my brain as much as the right.
Don't get me wrong. This is no where near as bad as "Open Water".
BTW, Yes he lives. I'm not sure if that's really a spoiler though. If you think about it, they never would have made the movie if it was just about some guy dying in an industrial accident.
They imply that he wasn't breathing for ~25 minutes. Since they said he only had 5 minutes of bailout gas. But technical divers are *very* conservative in their gas planning.
They drill the "only 5 minutes" into them in training because the only legitimate use of the bailout bottle is to return to the bell ASAP. They are not to dawdle or attempt to complete their job.
But I saw their bailout bottles. The look like LP70s or 85s. It's common among tech divers to overfill scuba tanks. So a tank that is 70 cf at 2400 psi will hold ~ 90 cf at 3200 psi. So he had a gas supply of ~180cf.
A calm diver has a surface air consumption rate of about 0.5 cfm. In a crisis that easily doubles to 1 cfm. Then the rate you use it goes up with increasing pressure. So at 300 meters, they would be at 31 ata. (every 10m = 1 ata, and you had 1 to start with) At that depth it really is only good for 180cf/31*1cfm = 5.8 minutes.
But at 100 meters it's good for 16 minutes. Once he got to the top of the structure and stopped exerting himself, maybe longer. Suppose he got 20 minutes out of it. After that he had to hold his breath. 10 minute might seem like a long time, but the record for 'static apnea' with oxygen pre-breathing is 24 minutes.
He ran out of gas and passed out. His buddies got to him with very little time left and had to revive him with mouth to mouth. But it's not like his heart stopped. (If it had, just doing mouth to mouth would not be effective)
A real documentary would have gone into their training more and include a debrief with lessons learned. There are a lot of things they could have done differently. (I had to stop myself from yelling out suggestions) But as a diver I still have a lot of unanswered questions after watching the movie.
So it's a nice drama. If you like sitting on the edge of your seat praying for miracles, you'll love this film. Despite it's flaws I'm glad I watched it and learned a few things. I just wished it stimulated the left 1/2 of my brain as much as the right.
Don't get me wrong. This is no where near as bad as "Open Water".
BTW, Yes he lives. I'm not sure if that's really a spoiler though. If you think about it, they never would have made the movie if it was just about some guy dying in an industrial accident.
And here we go to Oscars !
gherota17 May 2019
A former diver myself, i know how it is . Good money , adventure, and then bang ! Trouble...
Well done the script, directorship , and all the rest of the crew .
This is raw emotions, this is real life folks, not some Rambo , not some Bond...
This is every day people with trouble to solve and real stories to tell that will make you cringe , laugh and cry , and all that on the camera.
So, of you go to Oscars , lot !
Intense
mariashaw30 June 2019
Such an incredible story, very emotional. Wasn't prepared for this film, originally thinking it was a fictional film until a few mins into watching it realised the footage looked very real. Really hits you hard and watching some of the footage leaves you with a lump in your throat.
Harrowing real life account.....
pritol17 December 2020
Watching Last Breath is an intense experience, amplified by the fact this was a real life event!
Being stuck on the ocean floor is such a terrifying thought, and watching what happens to Chris Lemons certainly does elevate your heart rate!
In many ways it reminded me of Touching The Void, in terms of using real footage, re-enactments and interviews with the real life characters. This set up certainly makes the impact of the story far heavier, and immediately connects you emotionally to what you're seeing.
I did feel that they tried to draw an emotional response from you a little too much at times, rather than focusing on the events...but it's done well and is a minor complaint. It could have an hour long episode for a TV series about survival instead of a stand alone documentary, because what happened is rather concise, rather than a long drawn out ordeal.
The title is apt, because my wife and I were literally holding our breath for large parts of it...
In many ways it reminded me of Touching The Void, in terms of using real footage, re-enactments and interviews with the real life characters. This set up certainly makes the impact of the story far heavier, and immediately connects you emotionally to what you're seeing.
I did feel that they tried to draw an emotional response from you a little too much at times, rather than focusing on the events...but it's done well and is a minor complaint. It could have an hour long episode for a TV series about survival instead of a stand alone documentary, because what happened is rather concise, rather than a long drawn out ordeal.
The title is apt, because my wife and I were literally holding our breath for large parts of it...
Ratings Are Bizzare
keifwynne23 August 2021
As an avid documentary watcher i was completely taken in by the 10 star reviews but honestly the gentleman's colleagues the director the score and tone of this whole saga was muted and far from compelling in its delivery. A nice story yes. A must see.....absolutely not.
a warning
ops-525357 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I will be short on this review, just to tell that this is in fact more or less identical to the plot of the norwegian film''dykket''(the dive) , that were produced sometimes in the 80's, with among others Bjørn Floberg in a lead role.
But this is not fiction, its pure raw material of photographic evidence of the situation /incident at the sea bottom of the north sea. Its just amazing, and to all of you out there, having any medical issues with or connected to your lung functions, you might choke yourself to death watching this. I myself lying on the sofa breathing at the pace of a bluewhale due to the developing elements of this docu, so my wife had to check what i was watching so heavybreathingly....
this is a must see, if you like the dive in, i , the grumpy old man ,still alive, prefer to be the bell boy at the nekt sat dive....
But this is not fiction, its pure raw material of photographic evidence of the situation /incident at the sea bottom of the north sea. Its just amazing, and to all of you out there, having any medical issues with or connected to your lung functions, you might choke yourself to death watching this. I myself lying on the sofa breathing at the pace of a bluewhale due to the developing elements of this docu, so my wife had to check what i was watching so heavybreathingly....
this is a must see, if you like the dive in, i , the grumpy old man ,still alive, prefer to be the bell boy at the nekt sat dive....
Absolutely mind blowing!
neillhunter7029 July 2019
Everything about this film from start to finish is an emotional rollercoaster not only for the viewer but for those involved. I was fixated for the duration and only drank one beer. An excellent piece of film making beautifully crafted.
A compelling documentary
a-millard7 July 2022
As far as documentaries go, it's a good one. The "actors" are what held me back from giving this a better rating - but that can't be helped. It is a documentary after all. A more emotional cast would have lead to better story telling.
Wow
jasonsteph28 May 2019
Amazing BUT
vincents197326 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Must have been a horrible moment for Chris and his crew and i am happy that he was brought back to life.
I know that this was a matter of like 20 minutes, BUT why on earth did they not reboot the computer right away or at least a few minutes after.. Sorry, but for me that makes no sense ..
I had a strange feeling afterwards, this cant be true? Reboot the damn computer, just like we all do when the PC goes down? ..
7/10
I know that this was a matter of like 20 minutes, BUT why on earth did they not reboot the computer right away or at least a few minutes after.. Sorry, but for me that makes no sense ..
I had a strange feeling afterwards, this cant be true? Reboot the damn computer, just like we all do when the PC goes down? ..
7/10
Amazing
kmmanley-1147211 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Now that's what you call a harrowing tale of survival against the odds.
Going off the subject a little I thought some of, I think Paul's comments throughout were a little strange. Like when it was first assumed that Chris had died he kind of stated that he wasn't a friend of Chris and to him he's just another diver who's died on the job and that's that. I just thought another couple of comments were also just as cold. He reminded me of someone with some kind of autism. Ide be interested if anyone else noticed to this.
Going off the subject a little I thought some of, I think Paul's comments throughout were a little strange. Like when it was first assumed that Chris had died he kind of stated that he wasn't a friend of Chris and to him he's just another diver who's died on the job and that's that. I just thought another couple of comments were also just as cold. He reminded me of someone with some kind of autism. Ide be interested if anyone else noticed to this.
No million dollar actors, yet worth a billion!
allanwatts-0212212 July 2020
Goes to show how good story telling, basic footage and great directing is more than enough to keep audience captivated. No explosions, no big budget special effects required, just a great true story. Good team work, definitely worth watching
It's fine, overly long and drawn-out, but not bad
JurijFedorov29 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
There are 2 huge issues with this otherwise good documentary. I get why people really like it. It's a simple yet emotionally important story and there is a lot of tension here. It has that fake feel of being overly important and dramatic that the regular viewers love. But for anyone who watches documentaries regularly this is a letdown in some ways.
Firstly, it's for sure 30 minutes too long. Like, that shouldn't even be a debate. For the story it tells and scenes it has it's a 1 hour documentary. They constantly input small statements, acted scenes or videos of some equipment just being there. They even do small flashback sequences!!! That's stuff you see in B movies not in documentaries. Yet here everything is stretched out to feel more important and to fill the runtime. Furthermore, they have that extra 30-40 minutes to actually tell us what happened technically and how the various technologies work. The ship, the sub, the bot sub, the diving suits, the computer on the ship. We basically learn nothing about it because most of the runtime is filled with mini shots of various things. And instead of giving us extra details they will give us statements about what they felt or say things like "we restarted the computer and then it worked again". Okay, that's a serious letdown for people who want to learn anything about diving. This is not for smart people, but rather for people seeking that over the top drama with overly emotional scenes, but not much to learn. It's kinda a huge issue that the main problem they experienced is not even explained. That's crazy.
Secondly, this documentary DIDN'T tell us when it used recreated shots and when it used real shots. Honestly, anyone respecting documentaries should really pan this doc for it. You cannot know when what you are seeing is fake. That's a huge issue! Mostly I could spot it as the replicated shots were way better quality. But often you don't know. They have recordings from the ship, but then also have recordings from the ship they recreated. They have recordings from the dive, but then clearly also some recreated some scenes. This is maybe good for the drama, for some, but this is terribly if you want to tell a real story with nothing extra to it. The recreated scenes also all felt like slow motion making it drag a lot.
It's just too long for the story it tells. I got bored after 40 minutes. It's a very cool story for sure. But you need to have some stellar patience for this. Otherwise I recommend watching other such stuff or having it on in the background. I don't get the huge praise I see. It's fine, but it's really nothing you should run out to watch.
Firstly, it's for sure 30 minutes too long. Like, that shouldn't even be a debate. For the story it tells and scenes it has it's a 1 hour documentary. They constantly input small statements, acted scenes or videos of some equipment just being there. They even do small flashback sequences!!! That's stuff you see in B movies not in documentaries. Yet here everything is stretched out to feel more important and to fill the runtime. Furthermore, they have that extra 30-40 minutes to actually tell us what happened technically and how the various technologies work. The ship, the sub, the bot sub, the diving suits, the computer on the ship. We basically learn nothing about it because most of the runtime is filled with mini shots of various things. And instead of giving us extra details they will give us statements about what they felt or say things like "we restarted the computer and then it worked again". Okay, that's a serious letdown for people who want to learn anything about diving. This is not for smart people, but rather for people seeking that over the top drama with overly emotional scenes, but not much to learn. It's kinda a huge issue that the main problem they experienced is not even explained. That's crazy.
Secondly, this documentary DIDN'T tell us when it used recreated shots and when it used real shots. Honestly, anyone respecting documentaries should really pan this doc for it. You cannot know when what you are seeing is fake. That's a huge issue! Mostly I could spot it as the replicated shots were way better quality. But often you don't know. They have recordings from the ship, but then also have recordings from the ship they recreated. They have recordings from the dive, but then clearly also some recreated some scenes. This is maybe good for the drama, for some, but this is terribly if you want to tell a real story with nothing extra to it. The recreated scenes also all felt like slow motion making it drag a lot.
It's just too long for the story it tells. I got bored after 40 minutes. It's a very cool story for sure. But you need to have some stellar patience for this. Otherwise I recommend watching other such stuff or having it on in the background. I don't get the huge praise I see. It's fine, but it's really nothing you should run out to watch.
Amazing story, amazing footage, poorly executed
markjdammann22 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I was highly interested in the film as I am an avid diver. The story is unbelievable and it's not surprising a film was made. I am happy to have learned this tale of survival.
I didn't like the construction of this film. All the people they interviewed acted like he died for the first 75% of the film then we find out he survived. The story stands alone and doesn't need a fabricated twist. I wanted to learn more about saturation diving and the rigs etc instead excessive time was spend on overly dramatizing each moment.
Sadly the film didn't do this story justice
I didn't like the construction of this film. All the people they interviewed acted like he died for the first 75% of the film then we find out he survived. The story stands alone and doesn't need a fabricated twist. I wanted to learn more about saturation diving and the rigs etc instead excessive time was spend on overly dramatizing each moment.
Sadly the film didn't do this story justice
Incredible Documentary
Calicodreamin4 July 2019
An amazing story and a really well done documentary. The story is told in a really fantastic manner, with both real footage and some dramatizations, with the actual crew members involved in the saturation diving incident.
It really keeps you in the moment and involved the story. Providing thorough descriptions of the event with first hand accounts.
It really keeps you in the moment and involved the story. Providing thorough descriptions of the event with first hand accounts.
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