In 1947, with five loyal friends in tow, explorer Thor Heyerdahl sails a fragile balsa wood raft along an ancient path some 4,300 miles across the Pacific.In 1947, with five loyal friends in tow, explorer Thor Heyerdahl sails a fragile balsa wood raft along an ancient path some 4,300 miles across the Pacific.In 1947, with five loyal friends in tow, explorer Thor Heyerdahl sails a fragile balsa wood raft along an ancient path some 4,300 miles across the Pacific.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 12 wins & 14 nominations total
- Thor Heyerdahl
- (as Pål Hagen)
- Herman Watzinger
- (as Anders Baasmo Christiansen)
- Thor 6 yrs.
- (as Kasper Ameberg Johnsen)
- Directors
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaLarge parts of the film were filmed in two versions at the same time, one in Norwegian, the other in English, in order to secure international funding. See ALTERNATE VERSIONS section for greater detail.
- GoofsThe crew were not worried about whether the ropes would hold the float together, as it is portrayed in the film. As we can see in the Kon-Tiki (1950) documentary, the balsa wood was much softer than the rope, and it was actually the rope that ate through the wood. The result was that the rope eventually was protected by the space that had been created around it.
- Quotes
Epilogue: Bengt fell in love with Polynesia. He settled there and became a Consul General of Sweden. He died in 1997.
Epilogue: Erik built himself a sailboat, that became his home for 11 years. He worked as an artist until his death in 1972.
Epilogue: Torstein kept going on expeditions. He died in 1964 during an attempt to reach the North Pole on skis.
Epilogue: Knut resumed his career in military intelligence. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the Kon-Tiki museum. He died the Christmas of 2009.
Epilogue: Herman became the director of UN's Food and Agriculture organization. He died at Titica lake in 1986.
Epilogue: Thor wrote a book about Kon-Tiki. It was translated to over 70 languages, and sold over 50 million copies. The documentary about the expedition won an Oscar. Liv and Thor divorced after the Kon-Tiki expedition. Their boys lived with Liv, who later moved to the US where she died in 1969. Thor continued his work as an experimental archaeologist, author and explorer. He died in 2002.
- Crazy creditsBefore the closing credits, short clips are shown in which original footage shot by Heyerdahl was reenacted by the "Kon-Tiki" actors: urinating overboard in the open sea, dancing with natives under palms, portraits, and the like. Along with this, brief notes concerning each crew member's path of life after the trip are given.
- Alternate versionsIn an unusual technique, the film was shot simultaneously in both Norwegian and English, with each scene being filmed twice, first in Norwegian and then in English, with the same actors. This resulted in two versions of the film to be released, one primarily for the Norwegian domestic market, the other for an international audience. In a few cases, such as action scenes and computer-generated sequences, they used the same shot, later adding English with dubbing.
- ConnectionsFeatured in 70th Golden Globe Awards (2013)
- SoundtracksFlickan i Havanna
("The girl in Havana")
Lyrics by Evert Taube (as Taube) and music by Horatio R. Palmer (as Palmer)
I'm not saying this just because I'm Norwegian and extremely proud that my country managed to produce this amazing adventure. Kon-Tiki is definitely one of the most original, well- written and fun films I've seen this year.
It's the 1940s. Without spoiling the story (which is real by the way), we are invited to follow Thor Heyerdahl as he gathers a crew of overly confident Scandinavians attempting to cross the Pacific on a balsa wood raft. All in the name of science and a boyish thirst for adventure! This attitude is understandable; after enduring the misery of WW2, little seemed more tempting than escaping to faraway exotic lands. Bravery or stupidity? In either case, viewers can look forward to one hell of a boat ride.
What I adore about Kon-Tiki is the presentation of the raft's surroundings. The Pacific Ocean is just as magnificent and beautiful as it is dangerous and merciless, and this dynamic is perfectly balanced. Peaceful waters and clear skies suddenly give way for dangerous sea- creatures and storms mighty enough to tear the old-fashioned raft apart. Kon-Tiki is simply grand. At times my adrenaline rose, my heart started pumping, and I started lusting for adventure myself - just by watching.
Another strong point is the cast. The actors do a brilliant job at depicting the slightly eccentric yet adventurous Scandinavians far away from their Nordic comfort zone. Thor Heyerdahl is particularly well portrayed with his dreamer-like attitude and awkward English skills. Although I would prefer more emphasis on character development, Kon-Tiki make them just interesting enough for viewers to care for them.
Kon-Tiki is such a delight to watch, because it's original, different and not your typical Hollywood adventure flick. No, the plot is not complex. It has no twists or turns, and Kon-Tiki certainly doesn't contain the amount of drama you'd expect. And this is what makes it good - the film is all about the sheer excitement of the adventure. Of course it isn't perfect, but for a Norwegian film, I'd say it holds its ground rather strongly.
I honestly haven't had this much fun with a film for a long while. If you're lucky, Kon-Tiki might show up on a festival or international cinema near you. In that case, do watch it.
- larshermans
- Sep 10, 2012
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- Hải Trình Kon-Tiki
- Filming locations
- Nu Boyana Film Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria(New York exterior scenes)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $16,600,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $1,517,410
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $22,168
- Apr 28, 2013
- Gross worldwide
- $22,842,887
- Runtime1 hour 58 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1