"Winter in Wartime" and "In a Better World"

Why do all the good movies come out at once?

It seems like “Best Foreign Film nominee month” at the Loft. There were so many good films that I couldn't get to them all. After being put off by a somewhat depressing trailer, I finally saw the Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Film, the Danish entry, “In a Better World.” In the trailer it appears to be the kind of depressing movie that I “should” watch because it's good for me. But I went away with that jubilant feeling I get after seeing fine filmmaking.(I got similar feeling of elation after seeing 2008's under-marketed, under-distributed, "Transsiberian" – a decidedly dark thriller.)  Kudos to director Susanne Bier for bringing this universal theme of bullying to our attention. Unfortunately, “In a Better World” is no longer playing at the Loft. Meanwhile, Holland's Best Foreign Film nominee, “Winter in Wartime,” had a stunning trailer with thrilling action shots that drew me into the theater a week ago. Of course, it's still playing.

Since my readers seem to be catching these films on DVD anyway, I'll do reviews of both. But if you get the chance, you should really see these cinematic delights on the big screen. In addition to being beautifully shot, both films share a common coming-of-age theme on the fine line between good and evil.

“Winter in Wartime,” adapted from a boy's adventure book set in a Nazi occupied Holland village, is about a thirteen-year-old boy playing at the kind of adventure and suspense he reads in these books - until a real adventure falls in his lap (...actually more on the edge of town.) When a British plane is shot down, Michael (Martin Lakemeier) goes to explore the wreckage and is eventually drawn into the resistance when he assists the British paratrooper trapped behind enemy lines. This is the first time that Michael has felt some sense of power since the Nazis took over the town. It is hard to make out who to trust because so many of the townspeople seem to be in with the Nazis. He is confused when he sees his own father (the mayor) pandering to the Nazis and loses respect for him. But Michael finds that the line between good and evil isn't so easy to distinguish – especially when a Nazi soldier saves his life. Michael is forced to grow up fast and decide for himself where his loyalty and responsibility lies.

(review of, "In a Better World," below)

"In a Better World" and "Winter in Wartime"

While “Winter in Wartime” is very much like a Hollywood epic with a really straight forward narrative, “In a Better World” has a more European flavor with a more complex structure and multiple themes such as grief and guilt, revenge and empathy. “In a Better World,” ) aptly combines the intimate story of two families with a bigger world crisis to examine the effect of violent verses non-violent responses to bullying on all levels of society.

With his parents on the verge of divorce, ten year old Elias' (Markus Rygaard) needs his father (Mikael Persbrandt) more than ever. But his father divides his time and attention between his family in Denmark and his work as a doctor at a refugee camp in Africa. Elias is getting bullied everyday at school until the new kid, Christian, (William Johnk Neilson) stands up to the bully and ends up with a bloody nose. Christian, full of rage from his mother's recent death, goes after the bully for revenge. This violent act brings the two troubled boys together. After a meeting with the school principal, Christian's dad lectures, “You can't just go around beating people up. It doesn't solve anything.” Christian responds with a look of complete disdain at discovering how out of touch his father is with his world. “No one will dare hit me now,” he explains. Elias' father, who has dedicated himself to relieving the pain of others, tries to explain to his son why this is morally wrong, “You hit him, he hits you. What kind of world would we have.” His father gets the opportunity to demonstrate to the boys that it takes more courage to turn the other cheek when the town bully hits him. Unfortunately, that is not the lesson the boys learn. Christian plots a scheme to get revenge on the bully that hit Elias' weak father. Back in Africa, the doctor's morals are tested when he must treat an evil psychopath who has been stabbing pregnant women in the village. Again, his morals are tested when he finds that Christian has dragged Elias into his revenge scheme. Will he see Christian as an evil psychopath or a wounded boy like his own? We learn that there are no easy answers, but the cycle of violence may never end without empathy and forgiveness.

Susanne Bier, director of Oscar winner, "In a Better World," 

Susanne Bier's, Best Foreign Language Film winner,“In a Better World,” is relevant to our times as we continue to suffer from the effect of bullying on a local, national, and worldwide level. These two films remind us of the importance of understanding and that the fine line between good and evil is not always black and white.

Movie Blessings!
Jana Segal
www.reelinspiration.blogspot.com