Name - The Grey - Live or Die on this Day
Released - 2012
Director - Joe Carnahan
This film is over 10 years old now surprisingly, although I have only watched it a couple of years ago for the first time. I think I even have it on Blu-Ray somewhere or other. This film for me epitomises winter and the huge power that it can wield. We have freezing temperatures similar to Siberia, snow storms, and some really harsh winter weather, and to cap it off, it is miles away from civilisation.
The film stars the amazing Liam Neeson who is starting to look his age back then and he had up until that point only rescued his daughter once in the Taken film series, so was still relatively fresh. Who else but Liam could represent such an immense battle with some of the toughest weather conditions on earth?
Liam is a huntsman who protects an oil rig and its workers from unwanted visitors. Armed with his rifle, he seems a master of the terrain and could probably survive any situation. Suddenly he is confronted with a really tough situation and needs to lead his group through the Alaskan wilderness to safety.
This should be a straightforward situation for a man of Liam's ability, even in the extreme cold climate of Alaska. However, Liam and his group are confronted by a band of wolves who follow their every move and start to hunt them and do battle with them.
The film is not so realistic with the wolves targeting such a large group of men I think, but where the film excels is that for me the wolves are a metaphor for the power of nature and particularly winter and that it should never be underestimated. You could also say, that perhaps they also represent the battle he does with himself to survive this extremely tough situation.
Throughout the film, Liam is forced to use his wits about him, and his desire to get home drives him forward and to not give up on his goals. He faces one tough situation after another that would drive him to the edge. You could say that it is a message to everyone to not give up on their goals no matter what the setbacks are. I am sure we have all faced these battles at many points in our life when confronted with challenging situations.
In the film, we see some stunning winter scenery and people living in this climate seem out of place because it looks like a hard way of living that is not for people compared with the dominance of nature. Despite everything, the snow-covered trees look enticing to me, although I do wonder how you would survive for very long without supplies and needing to live off of the land.
I have seen even some of the best athletes that I know stop off at the supermarket for supplies every few days, even if they do eat some of what nature provided. In the winter, it must be even more difficult to find sustenance.
To cap off the beautiful wintery scenery and the ensuing battle of man vs. nature, there is the wonderful musical masterpiece by Jamin Winans called The City Surf. This now iconic piece of music really sets the scene and gets the thought juices flowing. Originally from his own series, The Ink, it was very suitably added to The Grey.
The deep music with the great performance by Liam fighting his demons had a powerful impact on me. I am often thinking about how I would trek across a vast snow-covered landscape or if I could survive in such a wintery place. Recently I have been watching some people hike the picturesque Patagonian Ice Fields/Glacier and it gives you a perspective of the power of winter and the cold.
The film builds up to a crescendo and a memorable scene with Liam. Although outnumbered and things are looking bleak, he still does not give up. Is this a metaphor for life? One thing is for sure, we will always wake up and face another day.
Thanks for reading.
► Trailer
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Credits:
The title image was created by myself in canva using image from source and CineTV logo.
I do not own any of these images or video copyrights. The music videos and trailer are linked to the respective copyright owner's channels.
Used under fair-use section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976.
