Sanctum (2011)

‘Sanctum’ takes us into the world of underwater cave diving and explores the challenges, a trapped team of divers faces when the mouth of the cave system closes in due to heavy storms on the surface. The way out is through unexplored depths that hold a promise of opening out to sea. With excellent underwater filming and cinematography, the film is breathtaking and manages to create a completely exotic and dangerous world for us.

The story revolves around a family of master divers who are exploring a cave system in Papua New Guinea. When their sponsor arrives with his girlfriend to check on the progress, a storm hits the surface, bringing in landslides and closing the main entrance of the cave. The way out is through a hitherto unexplored section of the cave that promises to open out into the ocean. The story also has a good personal dimension with the tensions between Josh, the son who feels his father, Frank has forced him to take up diving against his will. The situation is compounded when Josh’s mother Judes dies en route. How the team manages their personal conflicts against the force of nature is what the film explores.

Clearly the usp of the film is in its technical finesse. Executive Producer James Cameron allowed the crew to use some of his 3D filmography techniques he developed for Avatar. Alister Grierson’s direction gives us a fast paced film with no dull moments and manages to create a pressure cooker environment with frayed tempers and often shows mirrors to the conscience of the principal characters. The quality of acting is not top notch and the exchanges seem rather mundane. But the beauty of the challenge lets us forget that. The location hunting has been spot on and large cave systems in South Australia were used for filming.

The actors really play second fiddle to the context in this film. They are physically up to the task and pass muster when it comes to serious discussion. The only one who makes any impact is Richard Roxburgh who plays the father and master diver Frank. He has to deal with the death of his wife on his conscience and the belligerence of his difficult son, while figuring out a way to get them out of the cave system.

‘Sanctum’ is a good film to watch for its technical brilliance and the jaw dropping underwater scenery.