True stories are always hard to capture on the big screen. Some filmmakers go for spectacle and drama over character-driven narratives, while others pick a more subdued approach by telling a by-the-books story. We has recently been a few films capturing true stories from the most unlikely of events, such films include One Day and The Boys in the Boat from earlier this year. We have had films showcase the everyman as heroes in their own way and the same can be said about Young Woman and the Sea.
Young Woman and the Sea is a true story based around Gertrude Ederle. For those who do not know that name she is an American competition swimmer who went on to become an Olympic champion. Between those two accomplishments she also achieved the impossible by becoming the first woman to ever swim across the English Channel, and in the process proved to the public that women are just as capable as men when it comes to sports. Daisy Ridley plays Gertrude, or Trudy as her family and friends call her, in a captivating and candid way. Ridley captures the spirit that Trudy had and shows the confidence and the determination that she had when she battled obstacle after obstacle to become one of the strongest and most defiant woman to have ever lived.
Trudy was extremely ill as a child and it was thought that she would not survive her bout with measles. Her ferocious energy and spirit soon battled through the measles and it made her stronger. Her love for swimming was a risk as the sport could result in deafness for her, but that didn’t stop her. Her sister, her coach and her parents all stuck by her even if it felt like madness to them. This was the 1920s and as a result the idea of a woman being a symbol in the sports world seemed to be an improbable dream. Trudy made it though as she worked her way up and travelled to France to battle the waves and the sea.
The cinematography, the music and the script all combine to create a truly gripping story. The acting is on point and even if it teases to be over-dramatic it never reaches that point. Stephen Graham and Christopher Eccleston are also highlights of the cast as a sailor turned swimmer and Eccleston playing one of her later coaches. Filmmaker Joachim Rønning has experience with ocean filmography from his previous films Kon-Tiki and the latest Pirates of the Caribbean film, so he feels right at home with this film. The camera moves and tricks create a really immersive film where you really feel the dangers that Trudy went through.
Young Woman and the Sea may seem a tad long, but it does go through a lot of Trudy’s life with everyone around her supporting her. There isn’t a lot of time spent on her family’s lives but we do learn about her sister’s battle with arranged marriages and her own dreams of swimming, but sadly this storyline does eventually take a back-seat. This is Trudy’s film through and through, and Ridley inhabits her with such a tenacity that you just believe she is the woman she is playing. It looks and feels inspirational and this is the kind of film that makes you want to chase your own dreams.
★★★★☆
4/5
Final Verdict:
Young Woman and the Sea is a spectacle of a film. It feels old-school with its look, tone and style. It has that Disney charm and essence, but at the same time it has a relatedness and feels grounded in its story of portraying a truly remarkable young woman. Daisy Ridley steals the film and continues to prove to be an astonishing actress. Filmmaker Joachim Rønning also has a love the craft of making a film and it shows in his unique film style of oceanic based camera work. Young Woman and the Sea delivers the promise of a film that will captivate your heart and prove to you just how capable some people are when they’re pushed to the extreme.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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