The Vessel

Well, to start off I'll simply say that I am not one to delve into the theological or religious aspect of this film. I think that one should develop their opinions based on what they see and feel while immersed in the movie.

This film is about a seaside town that was devastated when a tidal wave struck. The local school took the brunt of the impact and almost every child lost their life after being swept back out to the ocean. Right away you understand that this film is going to be full of emotion.

Ten years after the incident the people in this town remain lost to their sorrow. The have not had any births and most of the younger people have left the village. The women still dress in black and have the belief that any woman who wears color is disrespectful and have turned their back on the incident.

The local priest came to the town a few months before the accident but he stayed, remained faithful and even tried to encourage the people to rebuild the school (this idea only led to a brick being thrown into a window of either the church or his residence.) Still he stayed hoping to help the community heal.

The main focus of the film is Leo. He never left, choosing to stay with his mother whose mental state took a hit after her other child lost his life during the incident. Leo has an accident and was considered to been dead by drowning only to have come back to life three hours later. Leo seems changed and he decides to build a vessel (a boat) from the scraps he finds at the school. The townsfolk see Leo's death/resurrection as a miracle and this sets up the rest of the film.

The setting and tone of this film fits perfectly for the subject. It feels tired, sad and haunted by the melodic sounds of the waves crashing against the shoreline. The acting was on point as well. There wasn't a whole lot of dialogue and I think it would have benefited greatly to have learned more about the lost children and their families.

This is a heavy movie but a great look into the lingering aftermath of tragedy and the attempts to move forward. It was a nice watch.