THE RA EXPEDITION
Norway/Sweden, 1972, 106 minutes, Colour.
Thor Heyerdahl, narration by Roscoe Lee Brown.
Directed by Lennart Ehrenborg and Thor Hayerdahl.
The Ra Expedition is an exciting documentary filmed during the expedition of the papyrus boat Ra, modelled on Egyptian boats. It was organised by Thor Hayerdahl and the crossing of the Atlantic took place in 1969 and 1970.
However, Thor Hayerdahl was famous in the 1950s and films were made of his previous expeditions, especially Kon Tiki in 1950. He also made documentaries Galapagos in 1955 and Aku- Aku in 1960. This film was the culmination of the extraordinary expeditions undertaken by Heyerdahl.
The Ra Expedition was Oscar-nominated for best documentary in 1972.
1. Was this an interesting film? Why? Was it made as an interesting documentary? in its subject, its style?
2. Were the expeditions a worthwhile enterprise? What good did they intend to achieve? were they valuable contributions to human understanding of its past? the work and money involved? Was the danger worthwhile?
2. What contribution to science did the voyagers make? How did modern technology add to the significance of the expeditions?
3. The television backing of the film? The contribution of the expeditions to United Nations peace? The patronage of the United Nations? The information and evidence gathered about pollution in the Atlantic?
4. Did the film explain well the background of Heyerdahl's hypotheses? Did the film present its evidence interestingly, convincingly? The evidence gathered from Egypt as regards boats, reeds, buildings? The comparisons with Latin and Central America? Were the conclusions drawn convincing? Did this make the expeditions worthwhile as some kind of proof of the possibility of voyages across the Atlantic?
5. What impressions of Thor Heyerdahl as a person? As a scientist and as a historian? His ability in preparing for the voyage and conducting it? His courage? His ability to handle human beings? His personality as a focal point for the crew? (His contribution to the commentary of the film?)
6. Impressions of the crew? The value of having such an international crew? The harmony of the crew - the sequences where they worked together, cooked together, ate together, the times when they clowned together?
7. What spirit was evidenced from the photographic record of the voyages? Were Heyerdahl's conclusions at the end justified?
8. How impressive were the sequences of the making of the boats? Interest in the technical details? In the capacity of the reeds for being turned into boats? The value of reeds over wood? the subsequent breaking of the wood in the seas? The use of men from South America to make the boats? The technical expertise?
9. What did the crew learn from the first voyage of the Ra? What decisions had to be made? Were the decisions correctly made? How disappointing was the decision to abandon the enterprise? If there had been no second expedition, would the fire have been valuable? How?
10. How impressive was the second voyage? Were the perils of the storms etc. well done? What did the crew learn during the second voyage?
11. What was the final achievement of the Ra expeditions? Did the film communicate the sense of achievement and the joy when the crew arrived in Barbados?
12. What is the value of a film like this? As a documentary? As entertainment? As a record of human achievement? Did the film contribute to a positive outlook of human enterprise and achievement?
