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The tension-filled quake showcased in the Norwegian thriller sequel “The Quake” is not of geological origins, but rather somatic in nature. It features a close-up of a trembling finger belonging to a scientist who is traumatized from surviving the tsunami in “The Wave.” Kristian Eikjord (Kristoffer Joner), a geologist, is still suffering emotionally from the earthquake so much so that he is unable to talk to his daughter Julia (Edith Haagenrud-Sande) when she comes to visit. In an attempt to make small talk, he asks her if she has a boyfriend. Even though she is kind and mature, he immediately returns her to her mother, instructing, “I can’t have visitors now.”
The passing of another scientist offers new puzzle pieces that suggest a major earthquake is going to hit Oslo. He travels to the scientist’s house, where the man’s daughter Marit (Kathrine Thorborg Johansen) is about to throw away his papers.
Just like Kristian, the scientist also has that kind of room with charts and clippings all over the walls and a map on the floor, anyone who has watched a disaster flick knows this means that he was correct and the people boarding at the computer screens explaining “our instruments have never been more accurate” and dismissing “alternative theories” are wrong. And when our hero decides to shave the raggedy beard, we must be getting closer to the good stuff.
It takes almost two-thirds of the duration of the film to reach the title disaster, which gives us enough time to reconnect with Indun (Ane Dahl Torp), the sympathetic ex-wife of Kristian and his college student son (Jonas Hoff Oftebro). It all sets up what is to come, which is a lot of amazing special effects, a few stunning stunts, and of course family reunion.
The creators certainly knew what they were doing when making the “Quake”. The growing feeling of dread paired with the disaster waiting to happen is as entertaining as it is terrifying. One of the strongest early effects of this film is the calm yet bold statement, “What I’m going to tell you is going to sound completely insane” said Kristian. “I don’t want to scare you” After that the building lights turn off and we see Julia’s character dancing. We then later see this event occur across the city.
Knowing something is about to happen, Kristian takes Indun to the top floor of the building hoping he can find her there. Raising the drama, Kristian leaves Marit and a sleeping Julia in the car. Undoubtedly this leads to startling images of all four of them being “stuck” in the building when the quake hits. This means that two of them, Kristian and Indun are stuck in an elevator and Marit with Julia are in an office expecting the horizon to turn vertical.
This film is equipped with some of the best audio designs I have ever seen. The achievement of experiencing the plunge is equivalent to that of seeing the film’s outstanding illustrations.
Director John Andreas Andersen relies on the sound of a cable snapping in half or the creaking of a glass window as two different forms of action that can greatly induce fear. The director seems to know how different narrative elements work together quite well by combining a significant amount of striking imagery, as represented by the dot of light shining from a flashlight in the tunnel, the red of an elevator shaft, the immense (and somewhat misplaced) grand piano in an office that offsets the angled floor. There may be fewer specially created visual imagery shots than is the custom in a Hollywood film, but these are very well managed and create the overwhelming sense that something is wrong.
It does posit, like too many other disaster movie versions, that the core purpose of catastrophe is to facilitate family reconciliation together with a helping of I told you so. Whether a father can conquer his PTSD is what decides Earth-shattering catastrophe descends, literally. This makes it nearly impossible to watch the film as a mindless effects-laden indulgence or to take it seriously as an allegory. Indeed, she is right we want our violence, our modem, framed with courage and compassion. Somewhat bordering on the mark certainly, but many images are just that, images.
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