The Last Winter DVD Film Review

“The world we grew up in has changed forever. There is no way home.”

Ominous, yes. A warning, yes.

Any time I can get a little education and unique perspective, especially on issues such as global warming and the oil crisis, I’m all for it. Especially when the message is delivered in an interesting, slightly spooky way. Which is why I thoroughly enjoyed The Last Winter.

The film is about an American oil company, KIC Corporation, that’s in the midst of building an ice road in an effort to strike oil in the pristine Northern Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, whether or not it will be good for the refuge. A pair of independent environmentalists are also working at the drilling base, keeping track of the weather and how it’s being affected, as well as giving their opinion on whether or not the ice road is in fact a good idea. When one of the environmentalists reports of a very dangerous permafrost thaw, he and the man in charge butt heads as to what’s best for everyone.

The Last Winter raises an interesting question about oil, which is, after all, fossil remains of creatures that walked the Earth long before any of us were around. While some may scoff at the “danger” or “evil” that many of the characters in the film encounter, The Last Winter leaves enough wiggle room for interpretation, which should satisfy the more skeptical viewer.

The film stars a talented cast, including Ron Perlman (“Sons of Anarchy”, Hellboy) as crew chief Ed Pollack; James LeGros (“Sleeper Cell”, Zodiac) as lead environmentalist James Hoffman; Connie Britton (“Friday Night Lights”, “24”) as camp doctor Abby Sellers; Zach Gilford (“Friday Night Lights”) as Maxwell McKinder; Elliot Jenkins (“Kingdom Hospital”) as IT man Jamie Harrold; Kevin Corrigan (The Departed, Superbad) as mechanic Motor; and Pato Hoffman and Joanne Shenandoah as native Alaskans Lee Means and Dawn Russell, respectively.

The Last Winter is actor/director/writer/editor/producer Larry Fessenden’s tale of the quest for “energy independence” and the high price the world will pay for it. Fessenden himself has a small role in this film, and he has also acted in The Brave One, Broken Flowers and Session 9, among other things. He also directed and wrote another interesting, spooky film, Wendigo, and he maintains a website on conservation called Running Out of Road (http://www.runningoutofroad.com).

The Last Winter is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen, with audio in 5.1 Dolby Digital. Extras include an hour-long making-of documentary that includes deleted scenes and an interview with Fessenden; and the standard feature-length director’s commentary.

I saw the unrated version of The Last Winter, which includes mild sexual situations and some disturbing/scary images not suitable for youngsters. Not to mention the fact that the subject content is probably above most kids’ heads—not to mention some adults who choose to bury their heads in the sand rather than admit that global warming actually exists.

I give The Last Winter 3.5 out of 5 stars, and think it’s interesting enough that it also stands up to at least one repeat viewing.