Kon-Tiki [DVD]

How fortunate that these nordic fellows survived, along with their footage. Such an incredible demonstration of bravery, skill & ingenuity. Demonstrates that ancient ancestors had the means to travel across the sea to occupy new continents.

After watching the 2012 theatrical film KON-TIKI, I wanted to view the real thing. Thor Heyerdahl's journey on a balsa raft across the unforgiving Pacific Ocean was a remarkable feat of courage. Heyerdahl proposed that the Polynesian Islands in the Pacific could have been populated by South Americans rather than by Asians, which was the accepted fact of the day. After 101 days and 4,300 nautical miles on a bolsa raft, he and his 5 fellow adventurers proved without a doubt that a raft leaving Peru could, in fact, could reach the Polynesian Islands. In fact, it was amazingly easy and far from impossible as he had been told.The original Heyerdahl documentary is a complete step back in time. Although the recent theatrical version dramatized some facts, it did follow the real story closely. The theatrical movie had the advantage of filmmaking techniques and all the possible safety factors. Heyerdahl and his men were pioneers on so many levels. They brought along a movie camera to film their adventures. This was long before reality TV so it is amazing they men thought to document their story alone and without a film crew or safety features. These men did everything and took all the risks. Obviously, pieces are missing in the story and are filled-in by the narrator. The ocean seems peaceful but there was a 5 day storm where no filming was done. The original Kon-Tiki is more authentic than any Hollywood creation. These men lived this adventure and surprisingly did quite well on the journey.The version I watched is from Janson Media. It does have a menu with some bonus features to enjoy. I know Heyerdahl and his team filmed in black and white under harsh conditions, so I don't know if the film could have been enhanced for clarity. Again, this was 1947 and people weren't making documentaries on the high seas. The men were filming under harsh conditions and without today's high-tech cameras. A few rolls of completed film were destroyed by the environment.The final documentary may be technically crude by our modern sensibilities but it is truly amazing. It does seem like more effort could have been used in the graphics and maps that explain the journey. The opening information scroll at the beginning is barely readable with the Kon-Tiki figure background. Keep the authenticity of the footage but it would be good to enhance the non-documentary footage.Nothing beats the original KON-TIKI. Here is the amazing story of how 6 men crossed the Pacific on a raft. It is a no frills story. The drama was built in and there is amazing footage of sea creatures who followed the raft. It is realism at its best. The crew risked their lives to board a rubber dinghy (a bit of modern technology that did not affect the raft). Attached to a rope, the dinghy was prevented from drifting off in the ocean and views of the Kon-Tiki could be filmed from a distance. Amazing on all levels. No Hollywood crew or safety features. Here is the real and amazing adventure. Remember this adventure was filmed in 1947 long before all the technical advances of Hollywood and visual effects. Allow yourself to enjoy the "real" thing. It is truly amazing.

Having watched this originally, when it was original, I had forgotten the nature of the narration, and no natural sounds or interactions of crew members with one another that wasn't rather "pre-planned". I had just come from watching the newer drama to this. This was so interesting, but rather tame comparatively speaking. What's left? The book, of course. I read Fatu Hiva years ago and was transfixed, so I can only imagine the book Kon Tiki to be equally enthralling in its rawness. I know I won't care for the evolution and ball earth revolving rhetoric, because I adhere not to either of those theories, but I will love the more first hand account than either the original film or the Hollywood re-enactment. So I'm looking forward to the book next, but am very grateful for all the real life footage in this narrative. :)

This movie does a fine job of reenacting this adventure. There is one moment that I did not like at all, but they pulled away from that so that I could enjoy this movie.

This is the much-deserved Hollywood film version (made in 2012) of the historic Kon-Tiki expedition accomplished in 1947. The lead explorer, Thor Heyerdahl, did have a documentary filmed on-site which was an amazing reality show by 1940's standards. It is still extant today on DVD and has an authentic impact - how could it not - that this film lacks slightly. But this version captures the spirit of Mr. Heyerdahl and his crew very well while maintaining respect for the original documentary, and is aesthetically pleasing - by 2012 standards - also. I would highly recommend watching the "Bonus" section of this DVD which, although it contains comments by some unlikely celebrities - Diane Von Furstenberg and Matt Lauer - it sets the expedition in the context of our current world-view.What none of the films mentioned above can show is the inspirational impact the expedition had on the world after the horrors of two world wars. It gave us hope that we had not destroyed the world after all and that there were new frontiers to be found in it. So we kept on exploring it!

Amazingly, I had never heard of the Kontiki until I bought a "Kontiki" watch and decided to read more about the Heyerdahl expedition, where he and his crew supposedly wore Eterna watches, who made the tribute watch years later to commemorate the expedition.Heyerdahl is an excellent story-teller. I found the book difficult to put down, as he describes the 101-day 4000+ miles expedition with great detail and even whimsy. He writes with a sense of wonder, almost child-like. The culminating event is when the raft named the "Kontiki" is approaching one of the islands in the Polynesian chain, but their approach becomes life-threatening due to the treacherous reefs around the island.He writes as an ethnographer and anthropologist with great respect for the people who are the subject of his writing. By building and navigating a raft built to the specifications of South American Indians he argued made the trip thousands of years earlier, he proved that they may have been able to navigate that distance and populate the islands. While his theory was not necessarily proven, he did prove that the trip could have been made. All six of the crew returned safely.

The true expedition of Thor Heyerdahl. Black and white. Riveting footage and story.

Page burner! Couldn't put it down! If you've ever been to sea, you have to read! Written before all the woke culture. The movie is HORRIBLE! One of the best reads ever!

The amazing account of an incredible voyage by possibly the greatest adventurer of the last hundred years. Thor Heyerdahl - scientist, adventurer, visionary

Pude ver la película y paralelamente compre el documental ya que las críticas eran buenas y me sorprendió que la película fuera tan pareja como el documental.Mientras en la película se aprecia, calidad e imagen, datos y tecnología que se aplica y creo que ello le quita un poco de valor a la realidad de cómo vivieron y los medios de los que disponían (yo hubiera usado el blanco y negro para rodarla) en el documental se puede conocer estas dificultades y valorar con más causa el espíritu de todos sus componentes.Recomiendo su compra como documento y para tenerla en un futuro.

Nachdem ich einige Bücher von Heyerdahl gelesen hatte, kam dieser Film genau richtig. Schade, dass es nicht noch mehr Filme (Aku Aku, Ra,...) gibt. Dieser ist auf jeden Fall ganz klasse, interessant und mal was richtig Echtes!Versand und Verpackung sehr gut.

in my collection!!!!

Espectacular documental el cual fue premiado con un oscar al mejor documental de su época, toda una epopeya, recomendable para los amantes cinefilos y documentalistas.