An Antarctica Love Story
How ‘Red Knot’ Brilliantly Showcases Love For Its Characters And Location
The most rewarding aspect about reading film criticism is discovery.
Some critics dissect a film’s themes and characters to help change or affirm a viewer’s take on a film. One may discover a new viewpoint of a certain film; others discover their viewpoints match the other takes. Even more rewarding is the discovery of new films. These are the films that slip by and go unnoticed by the large mass of filmgoers. Learning about quality, new films is thrilling and part of the reason following film critics on Medium, Twitter, YouTube and other sites are incredibly helpful.
I hope this is one of those times.
I stumbled across Red Knot on Hulu. I was an indie-film sort of mood and decided a trip to Antarctica seemed like a good way to spend 90 minutes. Personally, I had never been. The film hardly registers on any film spectrums. There has not been a ton of publicity for the film; it came and went. Despite the little fanfare, the film caught my eye among the plethora of indie choices. I’m glad I pressed play.
Red Knot is a compelling, yet cold — literally and metaphorically — drama about a couple honeymooning in the frozen world of Antarctica. Chloe (played by Olivia Thirlby) and Peter Harrison (played by Vincent Kartheiser) are a young, excited newlywed couple, deciding against the typical honeymoon festivities to experience a research vessel trip on its way to Antarctica. Of course, everything starts off well. Stuck on the boat and in the barren landscape of ice and more ice, the romantic passions begin to freeze. Trouble starts. Their relationship becomes incredibly tough to watch.
Directed by Scott Cohen, who also has a story credit, Red Knot features some gorgeous filmmaking. Cohen, whose background is photography, and his team photograph this film beautifully. One of the ways Red Knot captures its isolation theme is through the film’s photography. The film is dominated by blues and grays. The warm characters are chilled by their surroundings and so is the audience. This, along with films like The Revenant, masterfully bring the cold to you, perhaps sending a shiver down your spine. By shooting at the actual locations, and by understanding their surroundings, Cohen and his team bring Antarctica alive in all its wintery glory.
The setting is very much part of the story. Though, in center stage, the story features the relationship of Chloe and Peter. Thirlby and Kartheiser are superb. Peter is incredibly focused on furthering a career, hanging out with biologist Roger Payne. Peter plans to write about the trip and information he learns from Payne. In doing so, he isolates Chloe. Already alone on a boat in the middle of a frozen landscape, Chloe’s isolation is not helped with the emotional and physical desertion of Peter. Thirlby thrives with Peter’s desertion, as hard as that is to say. She emotes pain effectively; the viewer suffers with her.
Together, in the beginning, Thirlby and Kartheiser are wonderful, cheery and completely in love. Once the couple begins to stray different ways — on a boat, making it even harder — the viewer is left with choosing sides. Thirlby does more with her role, gaining our empathy. While the film also focuses on the effects of their “separation” on Peter, the viewer is left colder on him. Kartheiser’s performance, while great, hurts his chances at winning over the audience. He does not understand Chloe’s feelings, at first, and, when he realizes his mistakes, the relationship might be forever broken.
Spoilers Ahead
The film’s biggest knock is the ending. Open-ended and unclear, the film ends with a good and negative news. Lost in the Antarctic landscape, the couple warm up to each other, again. They realize their importance with each other, and despite what transpired on the confines of the boat, with a little more space and breathing room, Peter and Chloe are happy together. The bad news? They are lost in Antarctica. Will they die together? Who knows; the film doesn’t answer that question. They are happy at the end, which satisfies my Red Knot experience.
Like most films, I do not want to spoil too much. Witnessing the collapse and re-birth of Chloe and Peter’s relationship, in the frozen environment, is a remarkable film going experience. Well crafted and well acted, Red Knot is a success in what it sets out to do: tell a compelling relationship story aided by some gorgeous scenery. I absolutely recommend checking this film out.
