Into Eternity

8.1/10 Dropps

Genre: Documentary, Art House & International, Special Interest
Rated: Unrated
Running Time: 1 hr. 15 min.
In Theaters: Feb 2, 2011 Limited
Directed By: Michael Madsen (II)
Written By: Jesper Bergmann, Michael Madsen (II)

The early 1950’s brought about what seemed to be the answer to an international power crisis. The meteoric rise of the Nuclear Power Plant in America, as well as all over the world, was the sure fire way to create massive amounts of energy for budding nations. April 26, 1986 changed all that when a small city know as Chernobly in the Ukranie had the first ever Nuclear meltdown, spreading a toxic cloud and creating an unsustainable living environment for generations. The incident at Chernobly opened the world’s eyes to the dangers of Nuclear power. Today, out of the eye of the public, governments around the globe struggle with the result of the functioning power plant. So the question is, where does all that toxic waste go?

Into Eternity follows documentary filmmaker Michael Madsen (II) as he explores what one nation, Finland, is preparing to do with their nuclear waste. Through the film we discover the issues present with nuclear waste, the biggest being that it remains harmful to mankind for nearly 100,000 years after creation. Into Eternity explores the dangers of nuclear radiation on humans and the environment, the current methods of disposal and issues with these temporary soultions, and the ever deepening, government funded, Onkalo (unk-a-loo), which literally translates into “hiding place.”

Michael Madsen’s début film establishes him as someone who could stand to make a mark on the documentary landscape. Into Eternity does two things that vital to capturing the viewer’s attention; he provides informative and interesting information regarding past and present nuclear knowledge and he makes a stunningly beautiful film in the process. While the film is overall a standard documentary exploring and idea, his slow-panning shots and creative point’s of view on a subject most people know little about make for an interesting and engaing watch.

One thing you discover early on in the film is that Madsen has a unique audience in mind when he began shooting this film. Into Eternity appears to be shot for future generations, possibly for those living 100, 500, 1000 years from know. His unique question posing style to the viewer lets you understand that this film may have been shot with the intention for those who may accidentally stumble upon Onkalo generations from now.

While Into Eternity shines in most aspects, one finds themselves wondering whether he could have delved deeper into this prominent question. The interviewee’s tend to appear as officials and those working on Onkalo, or at least those who know about it.

Into Eternity raises question with thought provoking answers. Will mankind live to stumble upon Onkalo 1000 years from now? Will they understand what they have found or at least what we’re trying to warm them about? And, can man really build something that will withstand the test of time (100,000 years is a long time)? While most of these questions are left open ended at the conclusion of the film, Into Eternity is a solid tool for probing these questions.

-Hunter Freiburg