Review: Bear Island

A multi-national group of mainly UN scientists are on an expedition to the title snowbound Norwegian locale to study the effects of climate change (Yep, it was a thing even then). However, it quickly becomes apparent that they are being picked off one by one, and it might have something to do with a Nazi submarine full of stashed gold. Vanessa Redgrave plays a Norwegian medic (!), Richard Widmark is the German head of the expedition, Christopher Lee plays a very serious Russian scientist, whilst Donald Sutherland and Barbara Parkins are the American/Canadian scientists. Lloyd Bridges plays Sutherland’s good pal Smithy, an all-purpose adventurer-type.

 

This 1979 snow-set, all-star adaptation of an Alistair MacLean novel from director Don Sharp (Hammer’s enjoyable “Rasputin the Mad Monk”, the subpar “Dark Places”) gets a real shit-kicking from critics. I’m yet to read more than a single positive review of the film, and even that one (from Film Authority) seemed to be damning it with faint praise at best. You won’t get a good one from me either, but I have to admit…Geez, it’s actually not the bad film I was expecting. It’s OK-ish, I suppose.

 

Apparently the novel was one of MacLean’s best, and this film is generally regarded as the worst adaptation of any of his novels. I haven’t read it, and it’s a fair way from being a good film, but I did find some things to like in this ‘Agatha Christie Gets Rather Chilly’ mystery/thriller. I also found some things to very much not like, including perhaps Vanessa Redgrave’s worst-ever performance as the most exaggeratedly Swedish-sounding Norwegian you’ll ever hear. What on Earth was she thinking? Lead actor Donald Sutherland fares better (playing the American son of a German Nazi), though in parts of the film he looks unnecessarily pissed off for some reason. Was he duped into appearing in the film? At any rate, he provides a solid anchor, if giving a performance far from his greatest. He’s a little disappointing, but mainly because I put him in pretty high esteem. The real acting standout here for me was actually good ‘ol Lloyd Bridges as Sutherland’s old buddy Smithy. It’s not a subtle performance, but he’s having more fun here than anyone else, and it’s a bit contagious. Elsewhere, Richard Widmark and Christopher Lee are both solid, with the former not in the film enough and the latter appearing for quite a bit longer than I expected. Lee brings out his Slavic accent from “The Passage” here, playing a humourless, somewhat woman-hating Russian (Unlike Redgrave, the accent actually works fine for the character). Barbara Parkins doesn’t impress a whole heck of a lot, nor does the irritating use of soft-focus camerawork on her, which will have you rubbing your eyes. She was kind of a flash-in-the-pan for my money, though she’s certainly pretty (and didn’t need the gauzy photography).

 

Bond veteran Vic Armstrong lends his services as Second Unit Director and Stunt co-ordinator, and although there’s not too many occasions for his stunt expertise, those few moments are appreciated including a rather nicely done avalanche. He has performed in the former capacity on “Universal Soldier”, “Tomorrow Never Dies”, “The World is Not Enough”, and “Die Another Day”, and as Stunt co-ordinator on “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, “Live and Let Die”, “The Omen”, “Superman”, and “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. Also appreciated is the absolutely gorgeous snowy scenery captured by cinematographer Alan Hume (“For Your Eyes Only”, “Eye of the Needle”, “Return of the Jedi”, “Octopussy”), far and away the best thing in the film. The plot has some interesting elements to it, like deliberate bits of sabotage made to look like accidents for instance. As for the mystery, I’ll openly admit I picked the ‘surprise’ bad guy fairly early on, but the rest of the mystery I only figured out about a minute before the reveal.

 

Although it’s not the all-out stinker its reputation suggests, this mystery-thriller does wind up a disappointment and I can see why it flopped. The all-star cast is uneven, but the scenery is lovely and Lloyd Bridges is entertaining. Vanessa Redgrave is embarrassing. The screenplay is by Sharp, David Butler (The much better all-star effort “Voyage of the Damned”, and loads of British TV work), and additional material by Murray Smith (“The Comeback”, and a lot of British TV), from the MacLean novel.

 

Rating: C+