All is lost - Blu-ray

Film: Actually, he just wanted to go on a relaxing sailing trip and escape from his everyday life. But when his sailing yacht collides with a container drifting in the sea, a fierce fight for life and death begins for the man (Robert Redford). Without a radio or navigation system, he is left to fend for himself. Hoping that the current will lead him to a busy shipping lane, he must brave the scorching sun and his fears in his makeshift boat. But soon the next deadly danger looms in the form of an oncoming storm...

Following his ensemble piece The Great Crash - Margin Call, which was almost entirely dialogue-driven, director and screenwriter J.C. Chandor delivers a film with All is lost that seems to be the complete opposite of its predecessor. Apart from a radio call for help, the one-man chamber play on the high seas manages completely without dialogue. Finding backers for such a project was not easy, of course. But with a lot of persistence and with Robert Redford on board, Chandor was able to raise the necessary funds and, after careful preparation, turn his high-seas drama into reality in just 30 days. And in doing so, he really did achieve a minor masterpiece. For the work, which was shot on the coast off the Mexican Ensenada, in the Bahamas and in the gigantic studio in which the Titanic already sank, has become extremely gripping and exciting despite all its minimalism.

Although Chandor takes his time to show even rather less exciting things like repairing the hull or cleaning the radio in relative detail, there is never really any boredom. This is due to the tense basic atmosphere that Chandor builds up very subtly, but all the more effectively for it. As a viewer, you simply root for the nameless man to succeed in freeing his yacht from the container, closing the leak or somehow sending a call for help before the next big storm hits. With wonderful images that in many moments manage completely without digital effects, the vastness and depth of the ocean take on a fascinating menace that is hard to resist.

To carry such a film, whose script runs to just thirty pages, all by yourself requires not only great acting talent but also a fair amount of courage. Fortunately, Robert Redford has both. His performance is completely understated and that's what makes it so believable. His castaway is not an over-stylized hero, not an artificial figure, but a completely normal and therefore very accessible man for the audience. And it is precisely because of this that this struggle for survival is so compelling, even in its many quiet moments.

Surely, you have to get into this very special silent film. Pace, action, cool lines - admittedly, All is lost doesn't have all these typical blockbuster ingredients. Nevertheless, J.C. Chandor, with the help of his great leading actor Robert Redford, has succeeded in making a great film that proves that you can achieve maximum effect with minimal means. This is suspense cinema of a very special kind and in any case: absolutely worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: Technically, the Blu-ray convinces all along the line. Since the film almost completely renounces dialogue, the sound lives on the great sound design. And that comes in the DTS-HD 5.1 MA mix to excellent effect. From the creaking of the ship's planks to the distant rumble of thunderstorms to the destructive storm, small and large sound effects are very dynamically and effectively realized. The absolutely clean and very sharp image also leaves a consistently positive impression. It has a pleasant depth, through which the menacing expanse of the sea also comes into its own very well in home cinema. Very good!

Extras: Five short featurettes offer a look behind the scenes of the film. These focus on the story (approx. 3:45 min.), Robert Redford (approx. 4:25 min.), director J.C. Chandor (approx. 3:17 min.), the making of the great little film (approx. 2:34 min.), and post-production (approx. 3:49 min.). The disc also features ten interviews with Robert Redford (approx. 13:28 min.), the director (approx. 14:32 min.), the production designer (approx. 2:38 min.) and the underwater cameraman (approx. 2:21 min.). Finally, there's the trailer and uncommented B-roll footage (approx. 11:02 min.), but most of that has already been seen in the featurettes. Good!

Conclusion: All is lost gets by almost entirely without dialogue and with only one actor. And even though it all takes place on a rather small yacht that drifts maneuverless at sea for much of the film without much really happening, this survival drama is an extremely suspenseful film that proves you can achieve maximum impact with minimal resources. The film's Blu-ray is technically first-rate and the bonus material provides decent information about the filming. Overall, this gets a: Absolutely Recommended

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp