LET'S MOVE THE STARS
Norway, 1998, 98 minutes, Colour.
Thea Sofie Rusten, Jan Torre Kristofferson.
Directed by Toran Lian.
Let's Move the Stars is a very pleasing Norwegian film, focusing on a young girl, her grief at her brother's death from cancer, her upset when her mother is so grief-stricken about the death of her son that she seems to neglect her daughter and the family. However, when she goes to stay with her grandparents, she encounters a young boy and they immediately strike up a friendship. The film spends a lot of time on showing the two playing together, discussing together - and the little boy has more than a touch of the philosopher about him. There is also a pleasing reconciliation at the end which, though may be contrived in real life, makes sense and emotional impact in the film.
1.A portrait of family, family grief, friendships, reconciliation?
2.The Norwegian settings, Oslo, Bergin, the towns, the season, the beauty? A Norwegian perspective? Musical score?
3.The title, the painting in Jacob's room, Jacob's explanations of the perspective of the clouds and the starts moving? The application of this symbol to Marie's grief?
4.The introduction: the young boy dying, the cancer, the mother's grief, Marie's dream and her mother being without strength, the symbol of the horse? The repetition of the dream during the film?
5.Marie going to her grandparents, their taking her in, her mother's grief and seeming neglect of her, her father unable to do anything? The kindness of her grandparents?
6.Marie in herself, her age, sadness, not communicating this? The chance meeting with Jacob, the immediate friendship, the bonds, playing together, talking? His story about his mother and his being a neglected child? Her not telling the truth about her brother (and Jacob later telling her that he knew)? Their jumping into the water, at Jacob's home, cooking, eating, playing hide and seek, crashing into each other, going to the hospital, the ice creams and the kindly ice cream shop man? The naturalness of the friendship and the detail of how they liked each other?
7.Jacob and his age, his father as an absent war photographer, his mother and her work, going to seminars? Being by himself? The encounter with Marie, the friendship, his outgoing nature? His being a bit of a philosopher, the reflections on God, the meaning of life (and Marie's denial)? Marie wanting to stay longer with him, the phone call, the permissions? The return home and Jacob's visit, coming to stay over, their going out in the night, watching the stars, his explanation of the clouds and stars? Giving Marie a new perspective on life?
8.Marie and the counsellor, her hardness and harshness with him, going outside and weeping?
9.The farewell to Jacob, the significance of her friendship and her future?
10.Her decision to go to see her mother, getting the train, the relations minding her mother and their caution? Her seeing her mother, her mother's grief, silent, reclusive, not listening? Marie going into the barn, the cousin urging the mother to come to life again? The mother in the barn, her talking, her prayer, her faith, growing in love and the reconciliation with Marie?
11.Her father's arrival, the resolution and the return home? A small focus on a particular incident and characters but the universal appeal and meaning?
