LE SILENCE DE LORNA (LORNA’S SILENCE)

Belgium, 2008, 105 minutes, Colour.
Arta Dobroshi, Jeremie Renier, Fabrizio Rongione, Albin Ykaj, Morgan Marinne, Olivier Gourmet.
Directed by Pierre and Jean- Luc Dardenne.

The Dardennes Brothers make a film every three years, so this is their fourth in a decade, two of which Rosetta and L’Enfant? won the Cannes Palme d’Or and the other, Le Fils, was very well received.

The previous films were full of movement, the camera following the characters around at very close range. This time the camera remains still for much of the time giving the film a sense of classical realism. It is a fine film.

The setting is Liege, typifying a large city in the contemporary European Union where Belgian identity cards are of great value to migrants (legal and not) from Eastern European countries. Gangs set up fraud schemes, especially through marriages to citizens for a large down payment. This is Lorna’s world. Already married to a local heroin addict, her boss plans for him to die of an overdose so that Lorna can marry a wealthy Russian who wants legal entry into Belgium. Meanwhile she and her lover, an international truckdriver, plan to open a bar with the money.

Despite the tough line taken by the taxi-driving gang boss, Lorna does not follow the plan in detail. She would prefer her temporary husband to live. This leads to a sense of pity and changes her relationship with him even as divorce papers come through. The plan becomes untangled and Lorna withdraws more into herself and her fantasies.

Kosovo actress, Arta Dobroshi, brings great presence, beauty, toughness and pathos to the role of the contemporary migrant. And Jeremie Renier who worked for the Dardennes in Rosetta and was the callous young father in L’Enfant? gives a believable and evocative portrayal as the addict. The boy who was Le Fils, Morgan Marinne, appears as the boss’s subservient but violent sidekick.

Once again, the Dardennes bring their sense of humane realism to significant social issues.

1.The career of the Dardenne brothers? Their social concerns? Humanity? European issues?

2.The change to a fixed camera, a sense of classical realism, the locations in Lille, the atmosphere of the city, the situations – and key episodes happening off screen? The characters in this context?

3.The title, its focus on Lorna, her character, issues, decisions?

4.Europe in the 21st century, the European Union, migrations, becoming citizens of European Union countries for Eastern Europeans? Fraud, gangs, identity issues, identity cards, changing money, violence and exploitation?

5.Lorna’s situation, marrying Claudy, getting her Belgian card, the plan to kill him by an overdose, his addiction background? Lorna’s relationship with Sokol, love for him? The plan for the Russian to come to Belgium, marry her and get citizenship? His payments? The meetings with him in the bar, his translator?

6.The portrait of Lorna, from Albania, her age, the bank account, at work, her identity card, the flat, married to Claudy, his phone calls and dependence, his persistence, her reactions, not playing cards, wanting to go to sleep, not wanting to discuss with him? Her lack of pity? The change to pitying him? Fabio as her boss? Spirou as his assistant? The meetings with Sokol, his having to leave, driving the truck? Meeting the Russian, the bars, the talk, her questions, the awkward issues, the pregnancy, her dancing with him, the translator? Claudy, wanting to be locked in, throwing the key away? Her going away, her coming back and finding him in the bed, his preparing dinner, the collapse, going to hospital, going off the drugs, inflicting her own bruises, getting them photographed, the complaint to the police, Claudy and his unwillingness to hit her, in the hospital, playing cards, hitting her head, Monique and the stitches? The police, the issuing of the divorce, getting the letter, showing Fabio? Leaving Claudy, playing cards with him, coming home, pity, the sexual encounter, the next day, buying the bike, paying and sharing the costs, his leaving? His disappearance from the film?

7.The abrupt transition, her going to the morgue, his things, the meeting with Sokol, looking at the potential bar, her going to the place, phoning him, putting the deposit? Her collapse on the steps? Hospital, the possible pregnancy, the issue of abortion, her refusing a scan? Fabio helping her to the hospital when she collapsed, the fact that there was no baby? Going to the Russian, questions about his acceptance of a pregnancy?

8.The cancelling of the plan, the pay-off, Fabio getting his money, closing the bank account, losing the deposit, Sokol and his getting his money back, going to the truck, promising to see her, her saying he would not? Spirou, her wanting to get out of the car, getting the stone, bashing him and escaping?

9.Fabio, the Italian, driving the taxi, the brains, the plan, the issue of abortion, his anger?

10.Spirou as the yes-man, the potential for violence?

11.Sokol, migrant, love for Lorna, the break with her?

12.The Russian, his plans, impersonal – with the touch of ruthlessness?

13.The background characters, Claudy’s mother, Lorna wanting to give her money, his brother’s refusal? Monique and her sympathy at the hospital, the doctors?

14.Her escape into the woods, her talking to her unborn child, making the fire, planning to get something to eat – and the end of the film? Her going into fantasy? What would be her future?