HEARTSTONE HJARTASTEINN
Iceland, 2016, 129 minutes, Colour.
Baldur Einarsson, Blaer Hinrikisson,
Directed by Guaundur Arnar Gunaundsson.
This is a picture of Iceland as audiences do not generally see it. It is Midsummer, the countryside, the open plains and the green fields, the mountains with only touches of snow, the sea and lakes. It is beautiful countryside.
This is the setting for an unusual but effective drama. It focuses on two 13-year-old boys, Thor and Kristjan, on the verge of puberty. Thor is the central character, rather diminutive, examining his body, wanting pubic hair, with feeling taught skills and sexual arousal. Kristian on the other hand is more reserved, cautious, eventually discovering his same-sex attraction and having to cope with a homosexual identity.
The film fills in the background of the town, Thor’s deserted mother, obstreperous sister. There are Kristjan’s parents, his unreliable father and his fights. There are other parents but there are also groups of boys, older and boisterous, the touch of bullying. There are the girls, getting round together, but attracted to the boys.
In this context, the film gives a lot of attention to Thor, the details of his daily life, work, play, reserve, games of truth or dare, surreptitious kisses, embarrassments. And Kristjan shares in so much of this. At one stage, one of the girls, a poet and an artist, has the boys posing in make up, rather homoerotically – and later the butts of jokes about the painting.
While most of the sequences are very ordinary, audiences sharing the ordinary life of the youngsters, there is work on the farm, riding horses, camping by a lake and, especially, Kristian and his father letting Thor down on a rope to collect birds’ eggs from a cliff and the rope slipping and their having to rescue him. Kristian’s relief embrace of Thor when he is saved is an indication of the intensity of his feelings – leading to his attempted suicide.
The film is quite an exploration of the characters of the two boys and their interactions, issues of sexual arousal, sexual identity and how to cope.
The film won the award of the Ecumenical Jury in Warsaw, 2016.
1. Story from Iceland? Universal story?
2. The settings, east Iceland, the countryside, fields and mountains, the sea? The light of summer? Oncoming winter, snow? The feel of Iceland?
3. A story exploring the life of 13-year-old boys? Thor and Kristjan?
4. The town, the parents, absent parents, clashes? Farmers? Shopkeepers?
5. Thor, 13, short, at the beginning of puberty, his dissatisfaction, examining his body, the hair from the brush? Sexual feelings? The girls, Beth? His mother, slatternly, the fish
and her not using it, throwing it out? Rakel and the clashes? With the boys, the opening and the catching of the fish, playing games, with the girls? His friendship with Kristjan? Age, bonding, sharing together, roughhouse, tender, the posing for the painting and the homoerotic suggestions?
6. Kristjan, taller, 13, at home, his father and the brutality? With the group, fishing, at Thor’s home, with the girls? His friendship with Thor? The attraction? The painting? Ginger and the bullying? His realisation about his orientation? Love for Thor?
7. The girls, together, friendships, flirting, truth or dare games, kissing? The girl and her problems? Rakel and her making mischief at home? Things to do in the isolated town?
8. Thor’s mother, the husband leaving her, wanting a relationship, the reaction of her children? The dance, Sven and his gift of the necklace and Thor not giving it to his mother? Spending the night? The children worried about town gossip?
9. Kristjan’s father, the fight, allegedly about gay men? His taking the two boys to the cliff edge, to collect the eggs? The rope, Thor going down, Kristjan holding on, the peg loosening, holding the rope, Thor and his fear, his being called up? The intensity of the embrace between the two?
10. The two boys working on the farm, Sven, the horses, taking the horses with the girls, camping, swimming in the lake? Being caught, rebuked?
11. In the town, at the cafe, tables, the conversation, Ginger and the boys, the fights? Thor and his injuries?
12. Kristjan, the growing realisation of his attraction? The talk about gay men? Kristjan, with the horses, the attempted suicide, going to hospital? Not having any visitors?
13. Thor, his being upset, keeping to himself? Eventually going to see Kristian? The bond between the two? Kristjan moving to ReykjavÃk, Thor promising to see him?
14. The final focus on Thor, looking out to sea, looking into his future, his identity, sexuality, friendships?
