The accuracy of the disaster depicted

Rating: 9/10 (17 February 2020)

The Impossible is based off a true story about a family who survived a devastating tsunami originating in the Indian Ocean. The tsunami was triggered by an earthquake off the Indonesian coast and hit several countries around the Indian Ocean, including Thailand where this family was visiting on vacation. This disaster occurred on the 26th of December in 2004 and it killed over 230,000 people. The movie opens with a family of five enjoying a vacation at a resort in Thailand. While the mother was reading a book by the pool and the father and their three sons were playing in the swimming pool, their environment suddenly began to change at an alarmingly quick rate. The wind began to get stronger; the electricity went out and people began to hear unnerving sounds of creaking and whooshing. Birds were flying away from the shore, the ground began to shake lightly, the sounds they once heard were followed by crashing and screams. Trees began to fall as a wave taller than the resort came rushing towards them. The people had only seconds to react to what was coming, a tsunami. The wave immersed the resort, destroyed the houses, and swept people away; and it wasn't going to be the last wave. This movie follows the story of the family's survival and journey to find each other amidst the natural disaster.
The Impossible is a great representation of tsunamis and what it is like to go through one. One of the best things about the direction of this movie is the pace in which the tsunami events happened. Back in 2004, the Indian Ocean did not have a tsunami warning system, so the waves caught most people by surprise. In fact, I'm not even sure anyone mentioned the word "tsunami" in the movie, so it is quite possible that the tourists, and perhaps some residents, lacked the proper knowledge of tsunamis, including warning signs and safety procedures. In the film, one of the sons, Lucas, is seen standing by the pool staring at the wave as it approached them until he finally dove into the swimming pool. In footage of the real-life Indonesian tsunami you can see people who are entranced by the approaching wave, people who just stood there and watched it, not knowing the destruction it was about to bring. It seems that this is what Lucas was going through; he was in shock and didn't know what to do with himself for several seconds, which, during a tsunami, count for everything.
Later on in the film the father sends his sons to the mountains after he has met other survivors who are trying to get to a safe place. This is recommended safety protocol for when a tsunami is about to strike. Unfortunately, since the family wasn't on the beach, they weren't able to witness the receding shoreline that signals a tsunami. Scientists say that after the shore quickly draws back, you roughly have about five minutes to get clear of the shoreline. But there were other warning signs in the movie that were a little more subtle. The shaking was a good indicator for an earthquake and the noises that they were hearing were also accurate of the noises you would experience. Animals have also been reported to act strangely when natural disaster is near. They become anxious and move inland. People must be informed that tsunamis are not limited to just a singular wave, but more commonly come in a series of waves. In the film, there were two large waves that devastated the area and carried cars and massive amounts of dangerous debris inland. When a tsunami hits the shore, it starts mixing with everything it hits; it becomes a mixture of water, dirt, sand, garbage, cars, wood, metal, glass, etc. and it travels at around 30-45 mph on land. It is extremely difficult to survive in these waves. And when you get wounded, this water is going to go into your wounds and bacteria will infect them and you are more likely to attract a parasite, which is what I believe the mother coughed up in the hospital. Lastly, the emotional toll that a tsunami takes on the people affected by it, is immense and this movie hits that on the nail. When that wave hits, you are torn apart from everything and everyone if you are caught in the crossfire. If you are ever caught in the wave, it is best to do as the family did-cling for your life. Whether it be to a tree or a floating piece of debris or a part of a building, it is best to hold onto debris because there is no swimming in a tsunami. Overall, I would say that this movie very accurately depicts tsunami events.