The unconventional adventure drama All is Lost, about a man whose yacht gets lost during a horrific storm on the high seas, stars Robert Redford as an aging mariner who fights for his life against the ferocity of nature. After his equipment gets damaged, Redford must rely on maps, a sextant and his wits to survive.

One of the most extraordinary things about the movie is its lack of dialog. It’s a purely visual experience, and powerful action sequences more than compensate for the dearth of narration. When publicizing the film, Redford said that the absence of dialog was something that drew him to the project. He viewed it as a challenge. Another challenge for the actor was that he had never sailed before. Director J.C. Chandor thinks Redford’s performance comes across as truly authentic since like his character, he had to do things that were totally unfamiliar to him.

All is Lost, in theaters Oct. 18, is also unusual because Redford’s character is the only person in the movie. Without the distraction of dialog and human interaction on screen, the audience has no choice but to join the nameless man in his intense eight-day battle to survive.

Photo: thecinemasource.com