The Grey is a fascinating display of survival of the fittest. In this case, an unruly group of oil-rig roughnecks find themselves stranded in the Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash. Their only way to survive is to cooperate with one another, and follow John Ottway, played by the masterful Liam Neesen. Neesen’s task before the crash was to defend the workers from wolf attacks. His focused skill as a killer will be put to task when he and his crew find themselves surrounded by the same wolves that he mastered killing.
The men, alarmed by the persevering nature of the wolves to pursue them, begin to abandon their pride, and find themselves bound to one another in their hopes. Unfortunately, the wolves are unwavering in their intentions, and as each man begins to die Ottway begins to ponder the existence of God among the multitude of tragedies before him.
In the end one is left wondering if Ottway finds faith, or whether he assumes the posture of a fighting atheist until death.
Analysis
Christians will find the nature of these men reflected in their profane language, and sexual descriptions. But they should not overlook the intense loyalties of even the roughest of men. At the end of our lives, the gentle and the violent will call for help. The question is, “Will our help be in the Name of the Lord our God, or will we cling to our own strength.?”
