‘Force Majeure’ is an insightful family drama, an exploration of marital dynamics and a deep cut into exploring basic human instincts. The film provides an uncomfortable preview into the defence mechanisms that a person can resort to after a dangerous event and the toll it takes on the people around them.
The film follows a family of four on their ski vacation in France, - Thomas, Ebba and their two children – Harry and Vera. One day, as the family is sitting down for lunch outdoors on the deck of a restaurant, they see an avalanche that appears to be out of control and about to envelop the deck. Thomas runs from the scene leaving Ebba with the children. Later on Ebba tries to confront Thomas and he proposes that he did not run, and that the two of them have a different perspective on what happened. Later, at dinner with Thomas’s friend Mats and his girlfriend Fanny, the foursome discuss what happened forcing Thomas to acknowledge what happened.
The story is a great window into the dynamics of married life, albeit illustrated by an extreme example of a fight or flight situation. It approaches the incident where Thomas runs from the avalanche leaving his family behind from a calm and composed side first, as Ebba tries to clear the air and get Thomas to admit what transpired. His unwillingness to admit the facts as they are pushes Ebba and the viewer to feel frustrated, eventually culminating in Thomas admitting what happened, leaving the viewer satisfied in that fact. The journey continues however, as Thomas breaks down admitting feeling trapped by the type of person he is – at times a liar and a cheat. The film follows though in carrying us along on a journey where his masculinity is examined. We are invited to empathise with Thomas, as he feels disappointed in not having met certain expectations towards what a man should be. Towards the end of the film Thomas has a chance to be heroic, leaving him satisfied in having had the chance to prove he can be a good person.
The exploration of Ebba and Thomas’ relationship provides a realistic and relatable story that can be easily invested in. The viewer is presented with a simple scenario, a search for justice of sorts, that requires being seen through to the end. It is therefore a pleasant surprise that after the resolution of the argument about the avalanche, the story carries on and examines the reason behind Thomas’ actions and the pressures that society may place on men. ‘Force Majeure’ picks up where a lesser movie may have stopped to resolve a further issue, providing a more realistic depiction of conflict resolution in real life.
The film has many upbeat moments, is filled with well-timed comedic moments and has a somewhat tense through-line, providing plenty of uncomfortable and cringe-worthy scenes. The director, Ruben Östlund, has created a fantastic family drama covering married life, compromise and masculinity without being overly heavy and providing great moments of levity to ease the tension. The cinematography, helmed by Fredrik Wenzel, allows the viewer to dive into the atmosphere of the French Alps and feel the danger that they may pose, adding to the overall atmosphere of the film.
Ebba, as portrayed by Lisa Loven Kongsli, represents a caring mother to her children and an individual that expects an equal partner in her marriage. After the avalanche we can see how she unravels as she has to come to terms that she is not married to the person she expected. Kongsli delivers an excellent performance in showing the raw emotion in dealing with frustration and acceptance. Thomas, as played by Johannes Bah Kuhnke, delivers a character that initially the audience loves to despise. As the story progresses, Kuhnke does an almost impossible feat of presenting his emotions on what had transpired, allowing the viewer to empathise with him. The supporting cast of Kristofer Hivju and Fanni Metelius as Mats and Fanni respectively, work well to provide an outside perspective on what the married couple are going though. Hivju delivers a great comedic performance portraying a man frustrated when his masculinity comes into question and serves well to further illustrate what Thomas is going though.
‘Force Majeure’ works as a tragedy, a comedy and a very real image of what telling the truth and compromise look like in a marriage. The movie is great not only due to raising difficult themes but also due to its ability to examine them in a serious yet approachable way.
Score: 4/4
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