All Aboard! The Sleigh Ride (2015 TV Movie) User Reviews

"Sleigh bells ringing,are you listening?"

[morrison-dylan-fan · 8/10 · 20 January 2017]

Whilst having been a fan of Nordic Noir for years,I've never taken a look at the other most famous TV genre of Nordic TV:"Slow TV." Catching the ending last year,I was thrilled to find the BBC repeating their Slow TV X-Mas special,which led to me getting on the sleigh.

The outline of the doc:

Following a historical postal route,the film makers follow two Samis women going on a 3 mile journey with reindeer and sleighs in Karasjok, Norway, 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

View on the film:

Holding back on any score or narration to set the mood, director Luke Korzun Martin instead walks on a warm Ambient Post-Rock atmosphere, brushed with the earthy sounds of leaves and hooves,and the exchanges between the Samis people being left without subtitles in order to keep the rich ambiance brewing.

Filming the event in real time over 4 days and then choosing the best take, (they only had 4 hours of light each day) camerawomen Justine Evans shows an incredible focus,with the camera moving from the back of the sleigh to the front of the reindeer's with an impressive smoothness. Giving background info to the journey in tasteful effects shots overlaying the travel with photos and text,Martin chimes an enchanting Christmassy appearance,via Evan's shots on the ground being inter-cut with vast crane shots hovering above the magical sleigh ride.

Slow ride fast becoming a Christmas classic

[lairdscastle · 10/10 · 2 December 2018]

Carving out nearly three hours during the busy festive period sounds like an indulgence, but this film is mesmerising and evocative. The best stress reliever since aquariums were invented.

So, there is no plot, no dialogue of importance and even the landscape is sparse as you slowly follow the reindeer. And none of that matters.

Mesmerising

[lainemegaw · 10/10 · 7 December 2023]

This unusual documentary is one of my favourites - I've watched it on two of the three occasions it was shown on the BBC and it's an absolute gem. I wish it was shown on tv every Christmas, it could easily become a classic!

The film follows two Sami women as they lead their reindeer and sleighs across the Norwegian tundra along a traditional postal route. It's hard to describe just why it's so perfect when so little really happens and on paper it might sound dull. But it's not, it's beautiful and serene and wonderfully calming, and so, so Christmassy. I highly recommend it for late on Christmas Eve when everyone else has gone to bed!

I love these type of films which take you to our of the way places

[S3pt3m63r · 27 December 2020]

A glimpse into life at the top of the world with a nomadic people living in a harsh cold environment herding reindeer. I loved every second and was inspired by the reindeer herders who were masters of their environment, even though they were women. The only negative I had was with the editing of the film which seemed to go back and forth sometimes, one minute the herders were walking and next they were in the sleigh so it didn't seem quite smooth. But overall a brilliant film which was spectacularly ended with the aurora borealis and leaving me with a desire to visit these beautiful northern lands.