Fjord
Child abuse is a very serious issue. Years ago, hitting your child as a form of discipline when they were misbehaving was acceptable. Now, it is unacceptable. But how about a firm grip? Or a smack on the butt? Not all cultures agree. How about religious teachings? Certainly, religious freedoms should be protected. However, if, for example, a young child takes what they have learned at home to school and tells a girl identifying as a lesbian that she is going to hell, has that young child been a victim of abuse?
The drama Fjord (in English, Norwegian and Romanian, with English subtitles) considers all of these questions. It is about a Romanian family that has just moved to Norway when bruises found on one of the children raise suspicions, leading to Child Protective Services being called. It is not the emotionally intense story you’d probably expect from that description. We can feel the anger, fear and desperation, but it is controlled. It must be; letting it out would be playing into the hands of their accusers. Do the parents understand what is happening? Most importantly, do they know what they have done that has led to their children being taken from them?
This is a well-acted, delicately written movie, centering on issues of culture and belief when it comes to raising kids. Writer/director Cristian Mungiu does not tell his audience how to feel, which will probably make some people uncomfortable. No one is a clear-cut “bad guy” here. Everyone is doing what they think is right under the circumstances. It is an intriguing debate that makes for a compelling story.
Mihai and Lisbet have come from Romania to Norway so Lisbet’s parents can help them look after their five children; two teenagers, two in grade school and an infant. Their strict Catholic beliefs create concerns among their new neighbors, but it is the bruises on oldest daughter Elia’s cheek and neck that cause teachers to reach out to Child Protective Services. When they are separated from their children, Mihai and Lisbet must defend their way of life or risk losing their kids forever.
Fjord (144 minutes, minus the end credits) gets a lot of its power from how surprisingly matter of fact it is. This is not melodrama. Nor is it a suspenseful thriller. It is about people going through a traumatic experience that makes them reassess their lifestyle. Do the Gheorghiu’s have to change the way they live, what they believe, what they teach their children? Is there something inherently wrong with thinking the way they do? Their new community definitely makes them feel that way, though neither Mihai nor Lisbet do.
They do not feel they are abusive. They love their children very much and would never intentionally harm them. Yet they also believe children need strict rules, with appropriate consequences for breaking them. Differing definitions of the words “strict” and “appropriate” are where the trouble comes from. When their church rallies around them, calling this an attack on their values, it complicates matters even more. It presents a question that sounds simple (do you hit your children?) and adds so many layers to it that the question itself becomes confusing.
Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, as Mihai and Lisbet, are both great here, trying to understand what is expected of them and act accordingly. He fights to hold back his anger, so as not to seem threatening. She tries to suppress her despair to look calm and rational. They are both sure to get plenty of award’s buzz in the months to come.
Cristian Mungiu’s style recalls that of Italian neorealism. While Fjord’s subjects are not poor, he uses the fly on a wall approach to observing them as they battle what they see as injustice from a force larger than them. His characters take action, forming opinions before fully understanding the situation. Are the Gheorghiu’s abusive? Bad parents? Or do they merely hold different values than their new neighbors? In today’s world, there are no universal truths. The conflict in this movie, focusing on this family in this town, is going to generate some interesting conversations.
4 out of 5
Cast:
Sebastian Stan as Mihai Gheorghiu
Renate Reinsve as Lisbet Gheorghiu
Vanessa Ceban as Elia
Jonathan Ciprian Breazu as Emmanuel
Lisa Carlehed as Mia
Henrikke Lund Olsen as Noora
Written/Directed by Crisian Mungiu
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