The Vanishing has some great moments, superb acting, but doesn't quite reach the level that it could have. Definitely worth taking a look at if you're a fan of the psychological thriller genre.
“Gerard Butler and Peter Mullan star in this tense, action-packed thriller based on true events. After three lighthouse keepers arrive for work on a remote Scottish isle, they make a fateful discovery: a wrecked rowboat – with a chest full of gold. As a mysterious boat heads toward the island, the three men make a choice that will change their lives forever, ensnaring them in a web of greed, paranoia, and murder.”
The Vanishing is a rather simple premise based on a mystery that’s eluded the public for over 100 years. The story is simply that three lighthouse workers vanished without a trace. No one knows what fate might have befell them, which does leave the door wide open for all kinds of interesting theories that a writer may take and run with. Although I’m sure the possibilities are endless to create some kind of outrageous and thrilling story, the writers decided to play it a little safe, opting for a definitely more plausible scenario involving greed and paranoia.
If The Vanishing succeeds at anything, it’s at building tension. There are several sequences where you are transfixed to the screen, thanks to the superb acting of Gerard Butler, Peter Mullan and Connor Swindells. It also continues to create mystery as the story progresses, testing the boundaries on what might be real and what might be delusion. What happens to these characters and the paranoia that surrounds them will definitely captivate you, especially when the people who claim the gold as theirs show up. These are normal men trying to make a living and provide for their families, not prize-fighters versed in martial arts. The violence that overtakes them is clumsy, visceral and very real, as you feel you’re right there with them as the story unfolds into impossible choice after impossible choice. For a film that basically has only has one location, the island where it takes place, the film was surprisingly captivating, a testament to the writing that is able to keep your attention throughout the film. Each one of them are very different from one another, with Peter Mullan delivering a particularly great performance as a man who has recently lost his wife and children. Gerard Butler loses himself in this role, unrecognizable from many of his well-known roles, as he descends into madness, doing things he never thought he was capable of, and paying a steep price for it.
The themes the film explores: isolation, greed, paranoia, guilt, are made even more powerful because of the location and circumstances of the story. It isn’t addressed how long these men are supposed to live on the island and run the lighthouse, but the loneliness and isolation from the outside world, civilization and family, and taking place in the early 1900’s, present a more hopeless feeling of dread throughout the film. They have no way off the island, as the boat that brought them took the last crew back to the mainland; no way to contact anyone. It’s a form of isolation that is particularly haunting as strangers make their way onto the island. This exacerbates the greed theme, as each one of their ‘fight or flight’ mentalities work differently, one wanting to take the gold and leave, others trying to see a more level-headed approach to the situation. This creates some very tense sequences full of conflict between the group who are supposed to be allied with one another, fighting for their lives.
As much as I thought the film was smartly written, entertaining, and well-acted, I felt as though something was missing. With the background of the story there was an opportunity to do something really interesting, and I just felt as though the story never took that many risks. It really is a ‘by the numbers’ story and there were plenty of opportunities to really stun the audience that they never took. If you’re simply wanting a straight forward film with some great performances, you’re in luck, but if you are wanting something unique you’ll be left disappointed.
Video
The Vanishing is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.40:1. The transfer is excellent, with particular note taken to the overall tone of the film that is reflected in the cinematography and palate of the film. With a dreary loneliness air about the story, the colors of the film stick to earth tones, a lot of greys that really highlight this. Everything is very clear in this transfer, with no defects of note. Very clear and detailed picture, successfully conveying the tone of the film with its look on this Blu-Ray disc.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For this film, this track is entirely suitable. It provides some great sound: powerful dialogue from the center channel, with impressive atmospheric effects such as the gusting winds of the island, and waves crashing against the cliffs. These never overpower the dialogue, although thanks to the thick Scottish accents from the actors it may be a bit hard to understand at times.
Special Features
Only one short featurette on this disc. It is informative, but I would have been interested to learn more about the true-story mystery and their thought-process on why they went the direction they did.
- Emerging From The Darkness: The Vanishing
The Vanishing does a lot of things very well, but doesn’t seem to reach its full potential. It’s a great story with some phenomenal acting, well worth watching at least once, but whether or not it will be a memorable experience is entirely up to the viewer.
