HARMONY LESSONS

Kazahkstan, 2013, 110 minutes. Colour.
Timur Aldarbekov, Aslan Anabayev.
Directed by Emir Balgazin.


Looking at this very grim film with a sadistic streak and although it is the 21st century, it is not difficult to see in the bullying, school rackets and power struggles, victimisation and police torture that the Soviet days were not all that long ago.

Sensitive audiences probably need a warning that, after the humorous sheep chase at the beginning, we are shown a teenager and his grandmother slaughtering, bloodletting, skinning, eviscerating and chopping up the sheep. This does have some relevance to the plot but some audiences might find the close-ups too much.

This is the story of Arsan, a country boy at high school. Some scenes at home, especially his somewhat obsessively washing and daily clothes changing, are included. Arsan is also a loner, quite introspective.

On the one hand, school seems normal enough, especially science and biology classes and laboratory experiments. Students also seem ordinary enough, except for the principled girl who insists on the head scarf instead of a uniform because of her Muslim beliefs.

There is a long early sequence where the boys undergo a rather personal and bizarre sexual examination at the school, especially a remedy for erections. Here we meet joker, Bolat, who becomes more sinister as the film progresses.

On the other hand, there is an organized protection rackets running in the school with students making complaints and approaches to Bolat, rather like a junior Don Corleone. But the senior students are also a controlling the rackets. The staff of seem to know but do nothing until too late.

A boy from the city becomes friendly with Arsan but is bashed by Bolat and by the seniors. His goal is to go to the city, to be content in Happylon, wonderful for him but just a glorified games arcade.

Then there is a death, a murder. We do not see it but guess what happened. Evidence makes his friend and Arsan suspects. Incredibly, they are arrested, put in a cell, subjected to really brutal torture.

The rest is up to the audience, trying to get into the mind of Arsan who has great concern for the school victims of the bullies but who broods about the bullies.

One hopes this story, especially the treatment of the boys and the torture, is particular to Georgia rather than universal.

1. The title? The ironies? Ordinance response to the film and its friends: the sheep, bullying, lizards, nations, murder, torture?

2. Georgia, the country, the countryside, the village, homes, school, Happylon, prison? The passing of the seasons? A grim film? The musical score?

3. The history of Georgia, Stalin and Stalinism? Imprisonment, torture? Into the modern era, the 21st century? The police, seeing their work and torture has merely a job? Harsh atmosphere?

4. The FERC and the focus on Aslan, his age, the playful chasing of the sheep, the transition to the slaughter, the bloodletting, the process of treating the sheep? His relationship with his grandfather? Morose, introspective, obsess if and concerning watching, the change of clothes? M conscientious of school, science, biology, the laboratories experiments, his experiments with the cockroaches, feeding the loser? His not going into the competition? The scene of the physical examination, his going last, the reaction of the boys, their blunt talk about sex? The issue of slapping the penis for erections? His drinking the contaminated water and being mocked? The contrast with the peace at home, study, reading? The lizard?

5. Bolat, his joking at the examination, his being part of the gang, calling the meetings, the range of boys of the meetings, the issue of collecting money, the course for prisoners and Bolat and the seniors preventing this? The two seniors, the school rackets, wanting bullet to be more involved? The bullying, the boy with the Nikes, hitting his lead and his having to go to hospital? The new boy from the city, his being bashed? The left standing by, the other boys doing the bashing? Bolat being transferred, Thi morse and go and her objections, his course and a parole when a sly and we’re sick in the room? His plane sport, going to the washroom, his death off-screen?

6. The knowledge in class, polite, yet the background of the brackets, the teacher and her severity, the girl and her staff rather than a uniform, Muslim beliefs? The principal and keeping order? The teachers and the investigation of the murder? Their harshness?

7. The boys, the group’s, going to the left with their complaints, his hearings, his solutions? Twins, the bashings, their being arrested at the end? The

8. The boy from the city, his parents, sitting next to us learn, the gift of the pencil, the talking, walking home, his being bashed twice, for us learn?

9. The boy, his mother as the cleaner, going to hospital, a sly and finally seeing him with both legs, no amputation?

10. The girl and her principles, criticizing Bolat, moving to another school?

11. A slum, making the gun, his experiment, his inner anger?

12. The murder, off-screen, the police with 48 hours, put in the boys in the same cell, the extent and detail of the torture, the denials, the boys signing the document, a son and his meal, sharpening a spoon, injuring his neck, bashing the boy, his death?

13. Us learn setting up the situations, his intelligence, but his mental problems?

14. Survival, visiting the hospital, visiting Happylong and watching the two boys play the games?

15. The lake, the boys and the other side, the sheep walking on water? All did?

16. The emotional impact of the film and audience response?