I imagine that for Dana Brown, there was little doubt in his mind about where he would end up, and what he would ultimately do with his life. Growing up in the Brown household, young Dana was surrounded with miscellaneous pieces of film equipment, and more than a few surfboards. And so, the passions of the father, became the passions of the son, and the stage was ultimately set for Dana Brown to follow in his father’s footsteps years later, by crafting his very own surf movie, Step Into Liquid.
While I’ve never seen Endless Summer or Endless Summer 2, I’m well aware of their significance in the surf community. In many ways, they opened the world’s eyes to the wonder of surfing, thus introducing and enthralling generations of surfers to come. Where many filmmakers cite Citizen Kane as being the most influential film for commercial cinema, or cinema in general, perhaps we can draw a similar comparison to Endless Summer given its widespread effect on surfers everywhere.
Now, back to Liquid. Dana Brown’s film is a very beautiful piece, with the proper balance between talking heads, narration and wondrous shots of the ocean, waves and surfers in action. Shot all throughout the world, across a number of locales, and featuring dozens of the most respected surfers of our time, Step Into Liquid is arguably one of the most comprehensive surf films to date, but thankfully, the film never feels dense or bloated. Dana’s playful narration, and the kind-hearted interviewees work to entertain, and as a result, the eighty-eight minute running time seems to fly by in an instant.
The breathtaking visuals are married with a truly splendid audio experience, making this film one of the most entertaining and earnest documentaries I’ve seen in a great long while. It is truly magnificent to behold; a beautiful love letter to his father, and the surfing community at large.
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