LOUDER THAN BOMBS

Norway/France, 2015, 109 minutes, Colour.
Gabriel Byrne, Isabelle Huppert, Jesse Eisenberg, Devon Druid, Amy Ryan, David Strathairn, Rachel Brosnahan.
Directed by Joachim Trier.

Louder than Bombs is an evocative title. While there is a great deal about wars, bombs and their consequences and destruction, this occurs mainly in a series of photos rather than in the narrative of the film. The potential for bombs is not in overseas wars but in conflicts within the family.

In fact, this is very much a film about family and its tensions. It opens with the older son of the family, Jonah, played by Jesse Eisenberg rather more calmly than his usual performance, minus a lot of the Jesse Eisenberg-tics.His wife has just given birth, and he is awkward with her. But, this is to set the tone of the film because he is not the main character.

We then meet Jonah’s father, Gene, a former actor but now a teacher. In the past, he has related well with his two sons but now there is a tension with his younger son, Conrad (Devon Druid in a very convincing performance). The basic situation is that his wife, his boys’ mother, has died two years earlier. We have learned that she was a war photographer, absolutely fearless, going to the Balkans, going to the Middle East, involved in all kinds of dangerous situations with a portfolio of extraordinary photos. In the film, the photos do make quite an impact with their close-ups of war situations of all kinds – and in the final credits it is noted that many photographers contributed to the portfolio. There is a plan for an exhibition of the photos which means that father and sons have to look into their mother’s room and assess the various photos that she left behind.

in an interesting piece of casting, the mother, called Isabelle, is played by Isabelle repair it, one of the most versatile actresses for many decades. she appears a great range of flashbacks as well as in a number of the photos, in the memories of her husband and children, are sometimes enigmatic but powerful character.

Conrad is at school, exceedingly introspective, telling his father he is with friends when he phones but in fact is not, his father following him (and then an effective sequence where we see the same scene from Conrad’s point of view). Conrad locks himself in his room, plays computer games and becomes very involved, shutting his father out (though his father does try to enter the game, creating a character, but is killed off almost immediately).

As the film builds up, there is a further complication insofar as the father is having an affair with Conrad’s teacher. She is a sympathetic woman (Amy Ryan) but becomes a target when Conrad accidentally sees them embrace in the school precinct.

Another part of the conflict is the information we are given early that their mother has killed herself after returning from wars but that the father and Jonah have not been able to tell Conrad the truth, he idolising his mother.

It would almost seem that many bombs will explode in the family in their desperate conflicts – but, not spoiling the outcome at all, it is safe to say that the film is not without some hope.

1. The title and its application? Wars, especially in the 1990s in the Balkans, the Middle East wars of the 21st century? Family and tensions, wars? Images of war?

2. The director, Norwegian background, international production, cast? The American wars? The realities? The photographs and their real effect? The musical score?

3. Isabelle’s photos, the range of photos and subjects, the range of actual photographers, the build-up to the exhibition? Their impact?

4. A film about family, and having to face reality? Inner struggles?

5. The tone of the film in the introduction, Jonah, hospital, Amy and the birth of the child, his awkwardness, going out to get the food, encountering his former girlfriend, her misunderstanding about his wife’s condition? His being a professor, his academic background? As a person?

6. The introduction to Gene, the father, husband, his wife dead for two years? The friendship with Richard? Discussions about the exhibition, the meeting with the committee, his archives, Richard and the article, being explicit about Isabelle’s suicide? The visuals, Gene collecting them in bags, bringing them to Richard, their talk, asking him about the affair, Richard telling the truth, the affair outside the US, at home while he wanted to leave his wife and children, she wanted to be with her family? The writing of the article and its publication?

7. The storytelling, the linear narrative, the insertion of the range of flashbacks, created images, computer games, dreams?

8. The focus on Conrad, his age, at school, sullen and introspective? His response to Hannah? Alone, lying to his father on the phone call, his father following him – and then the audience seeing the reverse side of the story and Conrad seeing his father’s reflection in the store? His devotion to computer games, Gene wanting to identify, creating a character, being killed off? Conrad refusing to talk to his father, getting out of the car? His seeing Hannah and Gene embrace? In class, spitting on Hannah? His wandering? Imagining his mother’s death, as an accident? His not being told the truth? The past bond with his mother, remembering being the emaciated man to the exhibition, the past bond with his father? Jonah being older, Jonah seen him in his lively dance, the relationship as brothers? His concern about Jonah and his situation with his wife?

9. Jonah’s story, driving home, staying at the house, the relationship with his father, with Conrad, searching amongst the photos, seeing the photos of his mother’s affair, delaying in going back home, he and Conrad watching clips of his father’s old films, the article coming out, his not wanting Conrad to be told, going to visit Erin, the sexual encounter, expression of his fears about going home, that Amy would leave him? Finally returning with his father and Conrad?

10. Isabelle, her life, her camera skills, fearless, the war situations? Her appearing in flashbacks? Going overseas, the effect on her? The relationship with Richard? Coming home, happy, yet not feeling needed, watching the family? Going back to the war? Coming home, the depression, her death and the crash?

11. Hannah, school teaching, the affair with Gene, talking with him, the nights, the hug in the open, Conrad spitting at her?

12. Conrad, his writing, composition, giving it to Jonah to read, his response, giving it to Melanie and her positive response?

13. Conrad, going to the shop, finding the article, reading it, going to the party, his friend going home, walking with Melanie, her urinating in the street and its effect, the bond between the two, her positive response to his writing?

14. Conrad, with his father, wondering whether he was difficult to talk to? Jonah, asleep? The father driving Jonah home and Conrad in the car? All together, Conrad imagining his mother?

15. Hope and reconciliation?