In a Better World ("Hævnen")

The title of this film is truly befitting to the reason for its allure. For I think in all of us, lies a child yearning for that simpler and kinder time, when the innocence of youth made it possible for both friendship and forgiveness to prevail over the tragedies of the human experience.

After his mother’s death, Christian (played by William Jøhnk Nielsen) moves back home from London with his newly widowed father and ends up befriending the school outcast Elias (played by Markus Rygaard). But it doesn’t take long before the effects of his mother’s death overshadows their friendship and Elias is soon forced to make a fateful decision that will test his morality and send both their families hurtling towards a collision course.

“In a Better World” can attribute its success to both its writers (Susanne Bier and Anders Thomas Jensen) and to its dynamic cast for their tandem efforts in creating a visceral mosaic of emotions within the audience that resonates long after the credits have ended. It can be said that the famous proverb, “To err is human; to forgive divine” is the underlying message within this movie; however, viewers may also recognize another well know adage at play here:

“Do as I say, not as I do”.

Director Susanne Bier deserves high marks for her patience and guidance in working with such gifted and young talent. Like a conductor, she is charged with the delicate task of orchestrating a symphony comprised of high stakes and highly-charged emotions while maintaining that oh-so important beat of authenticity.

Credit: dailytrojan.com

One notable actor that stood-out among the cast is William Jøhnk Nielsen who played the role of Christian. Despite his adolescence, the subtlety to which he brought his choices to life is the hallmark of an actor many more years his senior. Through his sombre and stoic choices, Nielsen exuded a persona that effectively contributed to the foreboding lead-up to the climatic event while at the same time, conveying an honest portrayal of a young boy struggling with the pain and anguish of the death of his mother.

Credit: www.videodromomty.com

Simply put, “In a Better World” is an impactful movie because it reaches that part of us (some more deeply buried than others) that still holds faith in the magnanimous nature of the human race. 

Watch a preview of "In a Better World" ("Hævnen")

The Alcoholic

THE ALCOHOLIC

I see him on my way to work from time to time

The alcoholic.

Clutching his umbrella, staring out the window

The unmistakable stench of fermented dreams wafting from his body

His being.

I don’t know his name nor his story

All I know is his scent

It is the smell of decay - of sorrow - of neglect - of emotions suppressed

Gangrene of the heart.

It is the repugnant aftershave of a man on skid row

The scarlet letter of those who just can’t get it together.

As he’s about to leave, our eyes meet

I feel a stirring within me.

A sensation that I cannot articulate with words, only with synapses.

Of a familiar stranger

The alcoholic.

JAMES RHA 

Social Stratification

A cruise ship is the perfect example of social stratification.

According to sociologists, social stratification is defined as a system by which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy. And depending upon the source of the inequality and the degree to which it exists, social stratification may vary from society to society (Society : the basics / Macionis, Jansson, and Benoit - 4th Cdn. ed.).

But when it comes to life on-board a cruise ship, the inequality that exists spans both prestige as well as power and wealth.

Photo credit: wordtravelsblog.blogspot.com

And just so we’re clear, I am referring to the crew – not the passengers.

Anyone who has ever been on a cruise ship will be able to differentiate between a fellow passenger and a crew member by the unmistakable presence of a uniform. But in addition to serving a practical role, these uniforms also segregate the crew according to the positions they hold on the ship.

Photo credit: Maritime-Connector.com

At the top of the hierarchy are the officers. These men and women can be seen wearing white uniforms with epaulettes (stripes) that denote not only their rank, but their power and prestige amongst the crew.

Photo credit: cruiseshipjob.com

The officers generally hold managerial positions within the administrative and operational departments, or front line positions such as Pursers and Cruise Staff.

Photo credit: princess.com

Since many of these positions require formal training and previous experience (especially for those who work on the bridge), the expectation is that we give these crew members more respect and thus, consider their work more important than that of a waiter or a cabin steward.

Photo credit: rexthesurfdog.com

This ideology is reinforced through the issuance of special officer-only privileges such as access to passenger amenities, separate dining areas stocked with a greater variety of food and beverages (healthier?) and larger cabins.

Photo credit: YouTube User - papanikolau182

At the bottom of the hierarchy are the crew members who perform duties that can generally be done by anyone: working in the galley, cleaning, serving passengers, etc. These positions are generally filled by visible-minorities from low to middle-income countries and these crew members typically work the longest hours with little to no privileges.

Video credit: YouTube User - papanikolau182

Despite the alienation that some of these crew members experience, their income provides them (and their families) with more purchasing power than the officers and staff; therefore, some of them do experience upward social mobility both intragenerationally (within a person’s lifetime) and intergenerationally (in relation to their parents).

Photo credit: YouTube User - papanikolau182

But like a house of cards, this upward social mobility is both fragile and precarious. Minor fluctuations in forex coupled with the risk of work-related injuries and lack of educational opportunities means that these crew members are forever at risk of losing their purchasing power, jobs and even to some extent, their lives.

Photo credit: YouTube User - papanikolau182

Despite all this, proponents of Karl Marx would be pleased to know that there is one place on the cruise ship where all crew are considered equals and that is:

WARNING: Adjust your volume BEFORE viewing!

Video credit: YouTube User - ladystorme

The crew bar.

9-11: Phone Calls From the Tower

Credit: tvthrong.co.uk

In an effort to polish my mind, I had dedicated a couple of hours today to watching a documentary titled, “9-11: Phone Calls From the Tower”. Released in 2009, the 90-minute production centred around the voice recordings that were left behind by some of the victims who perished in the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001.

Directed by James Kent and produced by Darlow Smithson Productions for Channel 4, the documentary combined heart-felt interviews with the victims’ loved ones along with the victims’ voice recordings that were immortalized on answering machines, voice mail and 911 calls from that fateful day.

Credit: vcdq.com

By showing home videos, photographs and old home movies with each interview, I felt as if I were listening to a collection of sad songs, each with their own unique lyrics, but they all shared a common refrain:

Your absence has left a hole in my heart

You meant the world to me

You will never be forgotten

I will love you forever

While each interview was poignant and extremely moving, the one interviewee that made the most lasting impression on me was Anne Mulderry. Her son Stephen, a trader and former collegiate basketball star, was killed when the towers had collapsed. Through her poise, choice of words and even her surroundings, she exuded a level of wisdom and insight that reflected her choice to celebrate Stephen’s memory rather than dwell on the pain caused by his absence.

Credit: timesunion.com

We tend to lose sight of our own mortality and quite often put off saying and/or doing things that we ought to do today. As one of the interviewees had so aptly put it, “You never know when it’s going to be your last day”.

More than anything else, this documentary is a vivid reminder of that adage that nothing and no one should ever be taken for granted.

Click the following link to watch it on-line (Canadian residents only): 

http://www.cbc.ca/passionateeye/