GNADE / MERCY
Germany, 2012, 130 minutes, Colour.
Jurgen Vogel, Birgit Minichmayr.
Directed by Matthias Glasner.
Gnade is ultimately about mercy, about confession and forgiveness, possibilities of grace in ordinary and in troubled lives.
The setting for this story was, originally, Copenhagen, but the director had visited the town of Hammerfest, far north of the Arctic Circle, with its processing plant as well as its total absence of sunlight from mid-November until mid-January. He moves a German family here – so that the marriage could recover some stability, the father working at the plant, the mother at the hospital, their son at school, and their buying a farm to manage.
The centre of the film is a familiar situation. Late at night on her way home from work, the mother hits something with her car. She can’t see what it was and drives home. Her husband drives back and cannot find whatever it was. Maria panics and forces her husband to keep the whole event secret. She has a long speech of rationalisation which makes a big challenge to the audience to decide what they would do in similar circumstances, whether they would rationalise or go to the police.
While life continues, including an episode with the son who is mean to a fellow student and does not own up to it, Niels decides he must stop the affair he was having with a co-worker at the plant. Maria finds more support from Niels which changes him and re-kindles their love. This leads them, especially as they meet the mother and father of the dead girl at church and with work, to make a decision about telling the truth to the parents.
The scene where they do go, especially in showing the bewildered reaction of the bereaved parents, wondering what they should do, highlights the possibilities of justice and/or mercy.
1. The title, dramatising mercy, forgiveness, confession?
2. The information about Hammerfest, the Arctic, the town, the plant, the seasons, the darkness from mid-November to mid-January? Midsummer day in June?
3. The location photography, the coast, the town, the homes, hospital and school, church and choir, the darkness, the light, the icebergs and the islands? The musical score?
4. The introduction to the three central characters? The triptych? Niels and his work, moving away from Germany to Norway? Maria, her character, her work? Tension? Saving the marriage? The son, his homework, equipment, surveillance? The decisions, hopes, the farm and the management?
5. Settling in, the house, working at the plant, the problems at the plant, Linda, her approach, Niels beginning the affair? Six months? Maria, at the hospital, in the choir, her pregnant friend, going to the concert? Her son, at school, Ole, the antagonism, the friend and spitting in his school case? The reprimand from the teacher – and not owning up?
6. The accident, Maria driving in the night, hitting something, stopping, not seeing anything, continuing home, explaining everything to Niels, her panic, demanding? His going out to search, not finding anyone? Maria and her blaming him after his search? Imposing the responsibility onto him? Her speech of rationalisation, her decision, her demand on Niels, his acceptance? How much did the son hear and know?
7. The aftermath, the newspapers, the call for witnesses? Maria at work, her kindness, going to choir practice, seeing the mother weeping? Her own tensions and secrecy? Niels, growing anxiety, the meal with Linda, explanations of the break-up, her anger, Niels and his stopping at the accident site, embracing the mother? Linda and her departure, more rational, that Niels only promised her sex and fulfilled that – nothing else? Her return to Oslo?
8. School, the incident with the spitting, Ole being away from the school, no honesty amongst the children, the boy’s visit and Ole rejecting his apology?
9. Niels and Maria, depending more on each other, a growing tenderness? The issue of paying the father for the fodder, Maria and her firmness, Niels and his generosity?
10. The change, the effect of the love between husband and wife, Niels visiting Linda, Linda leaving? His telling Maria the truth?
11. The change in both of them, caused by their love, Maria forgiving her husband?
12. The decision to go to the family, the tension, the offer of coffee, the parents voicing the alternatives of what they might do? Leaving it to the audience to decide what happened?
13. The midsummer celebration, the handheld camera, home movies, the whole community, the sun shining, joy, picnic atmosphere? The two couples, the sun? Mercy, forgiveness – and grace in people’s lives?
