In a Better World (Hævnen)
Academy Award Winner - Best Foreign Language Film
A provocative film that explores the difficult choices between revenge and forgiveness, In a Better World follows two Danish families and the unusual and dangerous friendship that develops between them. Bullied at school, Elias is defended by Christian, a boy greatly troubled over his mother's death. So when the two become involved in an act of revenge with potentially tragic consequences, it's their parents who are left to help them come to terms with the complexity of human emotions, pain and empathy.
Member Reviews
a look at violence without being overly violent - sooz
In A Better World, Suzanne Bier's 2011 best foreign language oscar winner, which i liked a lot. a very well-crafted look at violence, without being overly violent itself. but from the school yard bullying in Denmark to the horrendous acts of brute power in a war-torn African country, cycles are perpetuated. it takes next to nothing to instigate the cycle - to bring our desire for revenge to the surface, but Bier who co-wrote it, also illustrates how little it can take to break the cycle. well, little in terms of action ... but it takes a hellova lot of enlightment.
it held my interest the whole time and i liked the two story lines - these two views of violence and what it can do to a family or to a country.Actually deserved its Oscar - RobBC
When Christian comes to the aid of Elias, a classmate mercilessly bullied by a group of older kids, the two become fast friends. Quiet and unassuming, Elias finds an outlet of sorts in Christian's fiery temper and single-minded obsession with wreaking vengeance on anyone who crosses him. But when Christian's desire to even the score with a loudmouthed auto mechanic goes too far Elias finds himself in way over his head. Meanwhile the boys' parents are having issues of faith and forbearance themselves; while Elias' mom is dealing with her husband's infidelity, his father is facing a moral crisis of a different sort halfway around the world. At the same time Christian's father is dealing with issues of grief and guilt surrounding his wife's death...a struggle sadly misinterpreted by Christian. Susanne Bier's amazing ensemble piece examines the complexities of taking a moral stand from widely differing angles. She is well aware of the small compromises, white lies and sometimes contradictory messages heaped upon children as they try to understand the mysterious ways of grown-ups; ways that are often just as strange to the adults themselves. With excellent performances throughout and a wonderfully intimate visual style (scenes of Christian standing atop a silo looking down in judgement on the people below were truly inspired) it's little wonder it won last year's Best Foreign Language Oscar.Well made, interesting, strong story - movie_addict
I was surprised by how captivating this film was. The acting was quite well done esp. the kids. The mother over acted but the others did well. The story of adults and children response to gratuitous violence was interesting. The ending not a surprise as it had a feel good end a la American cinema.
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a look at violence without being overly violent - sooz
In A Better World, Suzanne Bier's 2011 best foreign language oscar winner, which i liked a lot. a very well-crafted look at violence, without being overly violent itself. but from the school yard bullying in Denmark to the horrendous acts of brute power in ...Actually deserved its Oscar - RobBC
When Christian comes to the aid of Elias, a classmate mercilessly bullied by a group of older kids, the two become fast friends. Quiet and unassuming, Elias finds an outlet of sorts in Christian's fiery temper and single-minded obsession with wreaking vengeance ...Well made, interesting, strong story - movie_addict
I was surprised by how captivating this film was. The acting was quite well done esp. the kids. The mother over acted but the others did well. The story of adults and children response to gratuitous violence was interesting. The ending not a surprise ...