Eruptive Intensity: A Review of "La Palma"
The format of La Palma is a Norwegian family’s summer holiday on the beautiful island of La Palma. Their quiet vacation turns into a nightmare when a scientist notices threatening vibrations on the seismograph that indicates an eruption of the volcano which will cause a giant wave. As the severity increases, the family is challenged in both aspects of life, physical and psychological, as they try to persevere through natural disasters.
The show combines disaster theme with interpersonal relationships’ theme showing that despite all human weaknesses, people can stand united against the forces of nature. The mood itself is tense but also poetic, and does not forget about the emotional aspect of the characters during the crises of life.
The actors are excellent especially Thea Sofie Loch Næss who plays a rather layered character on screen. There is a perfect balance between stoicism and tenderness from Anders Baasmo, and Ikim’s excellent portrayal of a young girl in a state of crude reality is disrupted by bitter chaos – Alma Günther. His directing keeps a firm control of the pace, which helps visually and in terms of storytelling.
The music adds to the mood: The narration is supported by plaintive notes, while the presentation focuses on a character’s inner life during the quieter tracks. For all intents and purposes, it does an excellent job of reflecting all the dramatic changes in the storyline. The visuals are visually pleasing as well as ominous in a way that reinforces the show’s themes of the temper and volatility of nature.
The aesthetic is quite great although as a result it makes one acknowledge that sometimes the greater beauty is a disguise for the dangerous facet of the natural world. This ideal and risky setting makes the story interesting and realistic due to special effects in portraying the detrimental effects of volcanic activities and the tsunami. The use of such sequences adds to the overall tension of the show and increases the stakes for the characters of the series.
I like work with the editors since several lines are interwoven in a way that does not confuse the viewer. It sustains the consistencies of specific format, essential to the series that has a rhythm of individual tragedy and earthquakes.
Brisk yet measured, the series evolved as a dramatically intimate portrayal of human struggle and regular earthquakes. Some shows focus on the immediate situation and how characters will overcome obstacles, while another part is devoted to the characters’ gradual transformations, their interactions, and feelings.
In most episodes, the characters’ dialogues are quite realistic, which helps to understand the characters’ mental states, their personalities. However, the dialogue at times gets into a little too overdramatic while the series does a great job of combining disaster elements with storytelling. To get maximum emotional engagement, some character arcs should be more elaborated.
La Palma is the intense story about people’s endurance in the middle of the tragedy and catastrophe with the bright performances, intense emotional experience, and visually beautiful representation. Thematically, it remains close to home in terms of the family and struggle for survival leading to a positive impression.
