ELLING

Norway, 2001, 89 minutes, Colour.
Per Christian Ellefsen, Sven Norden, Per Christensen, Jorgen Langhelle, Marit Per Jacobsen.
Directed by Petter Naess.

Elling was the Norwegian nomination for Oscar for best foreign language film in 2001. It is a very entertaining film. Per Christian Ellefsen portrays Elling, a middle-aged man who has been put into an institution after spending all his life with his mother. He shares a room with a man of big strength but limited intelligence, played by Sven Nordin (one of Norway's best actors, best known for his performance in Shakespeare and Ibsen, something which would not be immediately evident from the character that he portrays here). Together, they are given a government apartment in Oslo and have to fend for themselves. The film is about the relationship between the two men, the prissy dependent man and the big man of brawn who falls in love with a pregnant woman upstairs.

The film has a focus on the characters and is able to draw out the pathos, the humour and the potential tragedy in their lives. The film is based on a novel by famous Norwegian author Ingvar Ambjornsen. The director is Pettr Naess. It was his second film.

1. An entertaining film? Serious and comic? Oscar nomination?

2. The Norwegian settings, the mental institution, the apartment blocks, the streets, restaurants, homes? The countryside and the lake? The musical score, the contrast between classic and contemporary music?

3. The focus on Elling? The characters and situations seen from his perspective? Limited, immature, slightly offbeat mentally?

4. The portrait of Elling: his age, experience, the death of his father before he was born, being brought up by his mother, looking after her, relying on her? The impact of her death? Hiding in the cupboard? His going into the institution, his dislike of the open groups and revealing himself? His sharing a room with Kjell Bjrarne? Their discussions, his making up the stories about being a sailor, in Bosnia, with the prostitutes? Kjell Bjrarne believing him? Discovering that they were lies? The supervising nurse, Gunn? Her influence on them? Their being deemed ready to go back into society?

5. Elling leaving the institution with Kjell Bjrarne? The problem of getting the train, the increased fares? Nervousness about getting off the train? Meeting Frank? The discussions about his role as their social worker? Going to the apartment? Frank and his injunctions for their behaviour? Their being nervous, not wanting to go to do the shopping? Elling and his going out, dizziness and fear, his collapse? His wanting to stay in? He and Kjell Bjrarne putting the two beds in the same room so that it would be like the institution? Their not answering the phone? Playing board games? Eventually having to go out? The decision to have the pork meal? Elling's nervousness, his going to the toilet despite his worries? The man snapping his fingers and Elling gaining freedom? His going back with Kjell Bjrarne? The incident with the drunken neighbour on Christmas Eve? The sharing of gifts? Kjell Bjrarne and his helping the woman, Elling and his co-dependence, feeling left out? His decision to go to the poetry meeting after composing his poem? The discussions with Frank and Frank approving? The visit to the bar, his having a drink, the poets and their eccentric poetry, Alfons and his comments? Offering Elling a drink, his refusing, seeing Alfons later with the sausage? Their discussions and the beginning of a friendship? Elling responding to Kjell Bjrarne and his inability to find anything to say to his neighbour? Her coming down, Elling's nervousness? His telling her that Kjell Bjrarne loved her? His worry that they were taking over his friend? The visit, the phone call from Alfons and his not being able to move? The car, Kjell Bjrarne fixing it? The decision to go to the house by the lake, Elling's first outing? At the lake, concern about the birth of the child? His changing underwear with Kjell Bjrarne? On the beach during the night? Going to the hospital, the anxiety, going to the bar, having a drink with Kjell Bjrarne, their getting drunk, the champagne, the phone call? His poems and his hiding them in the sauerkraut packets? Their being found, his getting good reviews? The discussion with Alfons about the poem? His future - being famous as E, the Subterranean Poet", but not drawing attention to himself? An interesting portrait of a man with mental liabilities, coming to terms with life and the world?

6. Kjell Bjrarne, his background, drunken mother, antagonism towards his stepfather? His being in the institution, sex-preoccupied? Listening to Elling's stories? Their leaving together, setting up house, his wanting to be in the same room as it was in the institution? The preoccupation about sex continuing, their unwillingness to answer the phone, the discovery of phone sex and the huge bill? Frank's exasperation? Going to the movies and Kjell Bjrarne thinking everything was the best he ever had? The pork meal at the restaurant? The encounter with the neighbour, helping her, falling in love, her pregnancy? His not knowing what to say and going berserk, his tantrums with Elling? Alfons and the fixing of the car, the trip to the country, his changing his underwear, the night with the girlfriend? At the bar, getting drunk, the champagne, the joy of the birth? A future for Kjell Bjrarne?

7. Frank, his list for his social work, meeting them at the train, setting them up, explaining things, laying down the law, making them go out, to the movies (and having to return home for Elling to go to the toilet)? Exasperation about their not answering the phone, rehearsing how to talk on the phone and Elling not wanting to talk to plastic? The sex phone calls? His being excited about their going out, getting Alfons's books of poetry, the birth of the child, Elling and his being drunk, throwing up? Frank getting them to clean the house - and considering that they were becoming normal?

8. Alfons, at the poetry reading, his critique of the modern poets and their pretensions? The chats with Elling, considering him mad? Telling him about madness being a prerequisite for genius? His ringing Elling, Kjell Bjrarne and fixing the car, the visit to the countryside? The happiness at the birth of the child?

9. The neighbour, drunk, the absent father, her nervousness, inviting Kjell Bjrarne upstairs, her worry about his not being able to talk about anything? The discussions with Elling and learning about Kjell Bjrarne's love? The date, going to Alfons's, enjoying the trip to the country, the birth of the child?

10. Gunn, the staff of the mental institution, the group work, helping the men to some kind of normality?

11. The film portraying its characters without ridiculing them, seeing the funny side of their limitations? Inviting the audience to share the humorous side of human nature and the attempts to deal with the harshness of the real world - but in a gentle way?