Starring: Anders Danielsen Lie, Jonas Strand Gravli, Jon Øigarden
Distributor: Netflix
Runtime: 144 mins. Reviewed in Jan 2019
| 
| 
22 July 2011 is a significant date in Norwegian recent history. This was the day when Anders Breivic planted bombs at government buildings in central Oslo and then drove to an island, Utoya, where teenagers were present on a camp, and he hunted them down, killing 69 of them.
In 2018, Norwegian director, Erik Poppe, (Troubled Waters, The King’s Choice) made a film from the point of view of the youngsters,
(Utøya: July 22) keeping the killer at something of a distance, not giving him the opportunity to watch the film and celebrate his presence in what he had done. It was a carefully constructed film, running for around 90 minutes, in real time, single take, focusing on the young people, their phone calls to their parents, their being hunted in the forests, under the cliffs, until the police eventually arrived and arrested Breivic. It was a powerful re-enactment.
British writer and director, Paul Greengrass, has been involved in many films with social unrest and disasters, focusing on Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland, on the air attacks on 9/11 in United 93, on the disaster in the World Trade Centre. He has also directed Jason Bourne Films.
In fact, compared with Eric Poppe’s film, Greengrass spends only 15 to 20 minutes on the actual hunt and massacre, and very effectively.
However, he is interested in wider issues, focusing on Breivic himself at the opening, the loner, at home, his mother, preparing explosives, having his extreme manifesto on his computer, placing the bombs, driving to the island in the guise of a policeman, beginning his massacre. Greengrass is also interested in his ideology, his extreme rightist beliefs, the purification of Europe and Norway, anti-multiculturalism, anti-Islam.
This focus on Breivic continues throughout the film, his surrender on the island, interrogated by the police, discussions with his lawyer, the preparation for the defence and the issue of insanity, consulting experts, Breivic himself wanting to speak in the court.
However, Greengrass has also focused on one of the teenagers and his protectiveness towards his brother, their hiding beneath the cliff, Breivic discovering them, shooting the older boy, the younger able to escape. The screenplay introduces their parents, the concern, the consulting of the lists of survivors, phoning of hospitals, and some detail in looking at the surgery for the young man, the pieces of bullet to his brain, his gradual recovery, his finally being persuaded to speak during Breivic’s trial.
This means that the film is more than just a portrait of Breivic himself, but a look at Norwegian society, social issues, the role of government and security, the judicial implications, the humanity consequences of such an event.
The film is in Norwegian production with a Norwegian cast, however speaking English for a worldwide audience.
It would be best to watch Poppe’s film and then expand the awareness by watching Greengrass’s film.
Peter Malone MSC is an Associate of the Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting.
12 Random Films…
