Hævnen: GO SEE THIS FILM!

As mentioned in my last post, I am a member of the Biografklub.  The club's first film selection of the season is Hævnen, translated literally as "The Revenge" (but whose English title is "Civilization" and International title is "In a Better World").

Here is the trailer:



IMDB's plot description says

The lives of two Danish families cross each other, and an extraordinary but risky friendship comes into bud. But loneliness, frailty and sorrow lie in wait.

These two lines elegantly summarize the events of the film. Well, except that the father of one of the families is actually Swedish, who spoke Swedish to the Danes and English to the Africans (Hm, would a Danish-language review count that family as "Danish", I wonder?!?). I thought it was funny how he had Danish subtitles, but miraculously all of the other Danes he spoke to in the film understood him perfectly (so why couldn't Danish film audiences?!?).  Well, except for when he said the name "Lars" and the woman heard something like, "Laghshhh".  But she was somehow able to connect the two with little difficulty.

In reality, this usually does not happen so easily.  But of course the film could not have wasted more time exploring a typical miscommunication, to the point where he would have had to take a pen and paper and write "Lars" so she could understand what he was saying.

And I am still kind of confused how Danes can understand Swedish, when in general there is difficulty understanding American-accented Danish.  But I digress.

Oral Swedish and Danish subtitles aside, this film was absolutely gorgeous.  I do enjoy the ability of filmmakers to make Denmark's scenery look visually stunning, as is evident in The Celebration and Terribly Happy, for example. 

Hævnen, as far as I can see, does not have as yet any English subtitles or Web site information.  It most likely will be exported, and I do hope that many people see it - especially
- families with young children
- especially families with young boys
- really especially families with young boys whose mothers have died of cancer
- definitely families with young children who have moved to a different country and must start anew in the school's social setting (what a nightmare!)
- certainly parents who think their children's teachers are a bunch of numnutz (not giving anything away here, but as seen in the trailer, one of the boy's two teachers try to place blame on his behavioral problems on "problems the parents are having with each other" instead of what is really happening - getting his arse kicked by a bully every day at school! I am kind of surprised that the teachers did not stupidly say that the boy's problems were due to having a non-100% ethnic Danish father! and/or having to understand Swedish)
and of course
- any fan of Ulrich Thompsen!

You will not be disappointed or bored.  This is an entertaining film that also makes you think after seeing it.  Issues of the other, friendship, justice, forgiveness, morality, and more will stay with you.  Go see it!