by Tate Harrop ‘17

The worst oil disaster in U.S. history struck on April 20, 2010, off the coast of Louisiana. Deepwater Horizon was the name of the offshore oil rig owned by Transocean under contract with British Petroleum (BP). It was not properly built to withstand the forces of a drill driven three miles into the sea and the oil rig exploded into pieces. This catastrophe took the lives of 11 people and spilt 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The film “Deepwater Horizon” vividly recreates this tragedy in a way that keeps viewers interested and entertained.

Filmed on an extraordinary set, the oil rig was actually constructed from an old abandoned Six Flags amusement park in New Orleans. Director Peter Berg, who also directed “Lone Survivor,” made sure that the set was so realistic that they could land a helicopter on the fake oil rig and actually set pieces on fire. The set provides the audience with an authentic experience and creates a picture of how Deepwater Horizon actually looked at the time of the disaster.

As things start to go wrong, viewers sense the fear of Transocean employees while the BP management seems more interested in getting the job done rather than safety. Berg wastes little time to depict complete turmoil as the disaster is occurring, causing the audience to almost experience the terror of the real events as they unfold. Throughout the entire disaster, the script writers make sure to explain the mechanical errors. It is obvious that the film pays close attention to detail by helping viewers gain knowledge of how the complex machinery works.

For a film focusing on these details, the actors are still able to depict the real-life people, giving viewers a personal side in the midst of this horrible disaster. The film starts off with calm scenes of each character’s family life. Mark Wahlberg realistically exhibits chief electronics technician, Mike Williams, as an all-American family man who turns out to be a true hero. Mixing this with underwater scenes of creaking drill pipes creates the suspense for mayhem. The audience is given their first view of the oil rig as BP management along with crew chief Jimmy Harrell (Kurt Russell), Mike Williams, and other crew members such as Andrea Flayetas (Gina Rodriquez) fly to the rig. The intensity of the film paired with personable actors creates a high-quality film for all types of viewers to get engaged.

“Deepwater Horizon” is exhilarating entertainment that demands attention for the entirety of its 107 minutes. The film portrays a devastating accident that viewers cannot stop watching

GRADE:
A+