DE OFFRE VILIGA (INVOLUNTARY)

Sweden, 2008, 98 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Reuben Ostlund.

We do all kinds of involuntary actions every day. We even make ‘decisions’ which are involuntary. This is the idea behind this comic/serious film about different groups of ordinary people. The film is like a jigsaw although most of the initial stories are unrelated. They are simply patterned for audiences to respond and then a pause for reflection as they watch the next piece.

At a party, an older man goes to a firework which did not explode and his eye is injured. A famous actress takes a bus and is pestered by fans. On the bus some youngsters play raucously while the serious driver chats to the young tour guide. A teacher complains about another teacher’s use of punishment. Two young girls giggle as they take sexy photos and then go out drinking, finally listening chastened (but perhaps unrepentant) to one of their mothers. A group of 30 something men drink and play sexual pranks.

Ostlund keeps the interest in each of the stories, making the point (especially during a class where a little girl changes her mind about what is correct because the other children disagree with her) that we are influenced by many factors whether we perceive this or not. Audiences who travel on buses will find the sequence where the driver holds up everyone until whoever broke a curtain rod in the toilet confesses!

1.The impact of the film? The variety of stories? Human nature?

2.The meaning of the title, choices, involuntary actions, involuntary decisions – and their consequences?

3.Human nature, good and bad, stupid and wise, principled or not? Good and evil – and people changing?

4.The Swedish settings, the city, the variety of locations, the countryside? The musical score?

5.The opening, the street at night – and the ending? A journey into Sweden and time for reflection?

6.The party story: the adults, their discussions, the celebration, the children? The fireworks and the failure, the father going, the warning, his drinking? The accident? His eye? His not wanting to face the reality? Eventually taking him to hospital? The continuation of the party, the people talking, the subjects of discussion? The father and his collapse? Going to hospital?

7.The schoolteacher, the children, the little girl and the test, which line was the longer? Her changing her mind, the peer pressure? The fact that this was planned to test her reaction? The staff room, the discussions? The difficult boy, his difficult home life, the staff discussing it? The teacher’s reaction? The violent behaviour of the teacher in the corridor? Her confronting him? His angry reaction to her? Going to the meetings? Her reporting him? Her sense of responsibility?

8.The girls, their age, their taking photos, their posing for sexy photos? The attitudes that they saw on television and in magazines? The aftermath, going out, the drinking, the girl’s collapse in the park, throwing something at the car, the man returning, everybody running away? His taking the collapsed girl home? The two girls as discussions with the mother, her reprimanding them, their looking chastened? Would they change?

9.The actress, the discussions at the bus stop, people talking about her plays, her films? Her travelling on the bus? The stop, further discussions? Being by herself? In the toilet, the stain on her dress, the sudden jolt, the curtain rack breaking? Her not telling anyone?

10.The men and their outing together, the sexual behaviour, the man and his exhibitionism, his chasing Olle, the sexual behaviour? The others? Their drinking? Jokes or not? His nudity, the flagpole? Their reactions? Olle ringing his wife, disgusted, discussing things with her, revelations of the past, yet his going back with the group?

11.The bus driver, his relationship break-up, his brother and himself running the company, the chatting with the bus guide, her story and ambitions? The issue of the broken curtain, the youngsters playing around at the back of the bus, his accusing them, their being innocent? His refusal to go, the people stranded, the attack on him, the man wanting to get a taxi to go to the ferry, the fact that it was a single company and they had no right of complaint, his standing on principle? The actress not telling the truth? The father, thinking his little boy was to blame, getting him to confess? The decision then to go on?

12.The insights into human nature and behaviour?