I wrote in my review of “Captain Phillips” that the movie was really about two businessmen, leaders who respected one another and negotiated a deal. “A Hijacking” is a Danish film likewise about a shipping freighter being boarded by Somali pirates, but this film is the one that hits at the reality of how men do business.
It’s a cold-blooded negotiation, one in which the men do not respect each other or play fair. It’s a thriller, but a slow one designed to drag things out mercilessly and endlessly, making “Captain Phillips” look like just a busy weekend. “A Hijacking” works as a complex drama and thriller because it’s an indictment of corporate culture first. Tobias Lindholm’s film lacks a hero or a fulfilling rescue, and it serves as a stark counterpart to Paul Greengrass’s movie.
The captain of the hijacked Rozen isn’t even on the boat. His name is Peter Ludvigsen (Søren Malling), and he’s the CEO of international company that owns the vessel. In an early scene we see Peter about to storm out of a negotiation meeting with Japanese businessmen, successfully knocking down their asking price by a few million dollars in a manner of seconds.
So when he gets wind of his boat being taken capture and held for ransom, he hires a consultant to advise him on the pirates’ intentions and takes a seat at the negotiating chair himself. Motivated partly by ego, partly by compassion and partly by duty, Peter is advised by his consultant that pirates don’t think like regular businessmen. Give them their first asking price and they immediately ask for more. Play the negotiating game and show no emotion that might cause the pull of a trigger. Continue reading “A Hijacking”