Clemency, a film by Chinonye Chukwu
The film tells the story of a warden, Bernadine Williams (played by Alfre Woodard) in a high security prison with inmates on death row. She is a strict disciplinarian with her staff and runs a very tightly managed prison. However, as gets towards the end of her career, she starts to have doubts about the morality of the death penalty, which manifests itself in her final inability to cope with the execution of one of the inmates, Anthony Woods (played by Aldis Hodge), a man who has been on death row for fifteen years and whose life story she knows intimately. The film's success rests on the acting skills of both Woodard and Hodge. Oscar nominations were expected in some quarters but the nature of the story line and, some believe, the fact that the main characters were black, probably militated against.
Personally, I felt too much emphasis was placed by the director on the skills of the main characters to act out the underlying emotions in the absence of much dialogue, however good they were at doing it. An interesing film, nevertheless. ❤❤❤❤
The County, a film by Grímur Hákonarson
In exactly the same situation as the hero (or anti-hero) of Independent People, the expression of independence for Icelanic dairy farmer Inga is freedom from the chains of the local co-operative that limits her income through restrictive practices. Breaking from this local constraint and challenging its inherent corruption leads to her losing her business. We follow closely the moral dilemma she faces, initially without the support of her community. The success of the film lies in the way in which we can identify with the main character and her dilemma, and celebrate the final decision she makes about her life, even in such an unfamiliar setting. ❤❤❤❤
A White, White Day, a film by Hlynur Pálmason
This Icelandic film deals with a contemporary theme (no sheep or cows worth mentioning) but is similar to The County and Independent People in its portrayal of an individual with an obsession. In this case the obsession is that of Ingimundur, an ex-policeman whose wife has been killed in a road accident. He becomes convinced to the point of paranoia that his wife had been having an affair prior to the accident and his overriding determination to prove this leads his mental collapse and threatens to destroy him and the only remaining object of his affection, his granddaughter Salka. This deterioration in his character is singularly well portrayed by the actor Ingvar Sigurðsson. Makes grim -- not least because of the wintry Icelandic landscape -- but compulsive viewing. ❤❤❤❤
Lockdown prevented attendance at the cinema or theatre from March and it didn't seem appropriate to add home-viewed entertainment to the blog. But in light of the Icelandic farming theme of the novel I was reading at the time -- Independent People, by Halidor Laxness -- I have included the above very good films, seen via Curzon Home Cinema. And I've continued the policy when the film seemed to merit it.