all is lost

I'm sorry... I know that means little at this point, but I am. I tried, I think you would all agree that I tried. To be true, to be strong, to be kind, to love, to be right. But I wasn't. And I know you knew this. In each of your ways. And I am sorry. All is lost here... except for soul and body... that is, what's left of them... and a half-day's ration. It's inexcusable really, I know that now. How it could have taken this long to admit that I'm not sure... but it did. I fought 'til the end, I'm not sure what this is worth, but know that I did. I have always hoped for more for you all... I will miss you. I'm sorry. 

So the scene is set for a man alone film. Man vs nature but ultimately vs himself.

Mum always reckoned that my dad looked like Robert Redford. And I can see that. At 77 and in all his cragginess, Robert Redford looks good. I imagine my dad would have too. 

With the simple voiceover at the start, an existential vibe is set. An unnamed man is on a boat, on his own, and everything goes wrong that could possibly go wrong. 

Something has broken this man. He is here alone, in the Indian Ocean, trying to repair his boat and himself.

Films such as All is Lost and Gravity have gripped us this year. The primal fear of being lost, stranded and on our own, seems to strike a chord. 

Robert Redford's and Sandra Bullock's characters are not only battling the elements, but their own psyches. Nature forces them to face their past as they fight to surmount their present challenges.

Our world is increasingly populated. We have a plethora of means of communication at our fingertips. We have technology, history, and very clever people to guide us.

And we have never been more lost and alone.