June 7, 2009
There will always be people out there who groan at the thought of a subtitled film, people who expect to be bored after ten minutes, but fortunately that view is slowly changing, hits like Amelie and City of God are helping subtitles to gain a place in mainstream cinema. So for anyone who is yet to experience such a film, O’Horten is certainly worth watching!
Set in Oslo, Norway, the film’s plot follows main character “Odd Horten” as he carries out his last day as a train driver before leaving the regimented routine of tracks and tunnels for a life in retirement; a life that he is not quite prepared for. Throughout the film Horten finds himself in several surprising and amusing situations as the audience witness him innocently breaking into a top floor apartment and going for a “blind drive” around the city at dawn. Horten’s bafflement at an existence without work provides the film with many poignant moments as he considers his future. But the film is also punctuated with bursts of humour brought on by Horten’s warm demeanour.
Directed and written by Bent Hamer, O’Horten is a truly beautiful film, from the shots of the snowy Norwegian landscape seen from Horten’s train to the many sights of darkened Oslo. The film has a very calming effect on its audience, all of whom remain still and silent throughout, only letting out the odd chuckle when appropriate.
Essentially, the message that Hamer seems to want to deliver through O’Horten is that there is no such thing as “too old” and that it’s never too late to achieve your dream. O’Horten is a joy to watch; it offers exactly the right mix of emotions and is sure to leave any audience satisfied.
Set in Oslo, Norway, the film’s plot follows main character “Odd Horten” as he carries out his last day as a train driver before leaving the regimented routine of tracks and tunnels for a life in retirement; a life that he is not quite prepared for. Throughout the film Horten finds himself in several surprising and amusing situations as the audience witness him innocently breaking into a top floor apartment and going for a “blind drive” around the city at dawn. Horten’s bafflement at an existence without work provides the film with many poignant moments as he considers his future. But the film is also punctuated with bursts of humour brought on by Horten’s warm demeanour.
Directed and written by Bent Hamer, O’Horten is a truly beautiful film, from the shots of the snowy Norwegian landscape seen from Horten’s train to the many sights of darkened Oslo. The film has a very calming effect on its audience, all of whom remain still and silent throughout, only letting out the odd chuckle when appropriate.
Essentially, the message that Hamer seems to want to deliver through O’Horten is that there is no such thing as “too old” and that it’s never too late to achieve your dream. O’Horten is a joy to watch; it offers exactly the right mix of emotions and is sure to leave any audience satisfied.