In a Better World
Encyclopedia
In a Better World is a 2010 Danish-Swedish drama
thriller film written by Anders Thomas Jensen
and directed by Susanne Bier
. The film stars Mikael Persbrandt
, Trine Dyrholm
, and Ulrich Thomsen
in a story which takes place in small-town Denmark and a refugee camp in Africa.
A Danish majority production with co-producers in Sweden, In a Better World won the 2011 Golden Globe Award
for Best Foreign Language Film
and the Best Foreign Language Film
at the 83rd Academy Awards
.
) is a Swedish doctor who commutes between his home in a town in Denmark and his work in a Sudanese refugee camp. In Sudan, he often treats female patients who are the victims of a sadistic war lord. One day the war lord comes for treatment of his wounded leg. To the horror of his staff and others, Anton treats the man, after demanding that no weapons and only a few of his guards are taken inside the hospital. However, after the war lord shows contempt for his victims, Anton drags him away from the clinic, allowing him to be lynched by local people.
Anton is married to Marianne (Trine Dyrholm
). They have two young sons, the older one being 12-year-old Elias (Markus Rygaard), but are separated and struggling with the possibility of divorce. Christian (William Jøhnk Juels Nielsen) is a new boy at school who has just moved from London with his father, Claus (Ulrich Thomsen
). Christian's mother recently died from cancer, and Christian blames his father for lying to him that she would get well, and that, in a late stage of her disease, he "wanted" her death. Elias is bullied at school until he is defended by Christian, who assaults the main bully and threatens him with a knife. Christian gives Elias the knife, and both boys lie to the police and their parents about the incident.
When Anton separates his younger son from another child while they are fighting at a playground, the father of the other child, a mechanic, aggressively tells Anton not to touch his child and slaps Anton in the face. Anton later visits the mechanic at his work, accompanied by his children and Christian, to discuss the matter and show the children he is not afraid of the man. The mechanic slaps Anton again, who does not flinch from the blows.
Christian and Elias decide to make a bomb to destroy the mechanic's van on a Sunday morning so no passers-by are hurt. However, with the fuse already burning, they see two joggers approaching, and Elias leaves his protected position to warn them. He is knocked unconscious but saves the joggers from harm. Christian is questioned by the police and then released with the incident being addressed as an extreme case of vandalism. He goes to the hospital to visit Elias, but Marianne does not let him, telling him he is a psychopathic murderer. Christian, believing Elias is dead, goes to the roof of a silo, contemplating suicide, but he is rescued by Anton. Christian is relieved that Elias is doing well, and he is now allowed to visit him.
Christian reconciles with his father, and Anton and Marianne have sexual relations, apparently resuming their marriage.
had discussions about the perception of Denmark as a very harmonious society. They then wanted to write a story where dramatic turns of events would disrupt the image of a place perceived as blissful. The development of the narrative started with the character that would be played by Mikael Persbrandt
, and the idea of an idealist who becomes the victim of an assault. The two writers had no specific actors in mind while developing the story but rewrote details when the leads had been cast. The film was produced by Denmark's Zentropa
in co-production with DR2
and Sweden's Memfis Film, Sveriges Television
, Trollhättan Film and Film i Väst
. It received seven million Danish krone
r from the Danish Film Institute
as well as funding from the Swedish Film Institute
, the pan-Nordic Nordisk Film- & TV-Fond and the European Union
's MEDIA Programme. Filming started at the end of August 2009 and took place on Funen
and in Kenya.
said: "Our experiment in this film is about looking at how little it really takes before a child – or an adult – thinks something is deeply unjust. It really doesn't take much, and I find that profoundly interesting. And scary."
. Out of the four collaborations between Jensen and Bier, he considered In a Better World to be the one most similar to Jensen's solo films and compared the combination of biblical themes and high entertainment value to Jensen's 2005 film Adam's Apples
. Skotte also praised the acting performances: "Mighty Mikael Persbrandt shows that he is Scandinavia's most charismatic actor right now. Trine Dyrholm's scenes are fewer, but in a split second she can dramatise the canvas to make the throat lace itself. Also Ulrich Thomsen is good as grief-stricken single father. With her successful directing of the two boys Markus Rygaard and William Jøhnk Nielsen, Bier adds a new chapter to her already extensive resumé of top tuned skills." Peter Nielsen of Dagbladet Information
called In a Better World "in all ways a successful film", and although there "is no doubt that Susanne Bier can tell a good story", he was not entirely convinced: "She can seduce, and she can push the completely correct emotional buttons, so that mothers' as well as fathers' hearts are struck, but she doesn't earnestly drill her probe into the meat."
and on 25 January, it was selected as one of the final five nominees and won as the Danish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
at the 83rd Academy Awards
. The film also won for Best Foreign Language Film at the 68th Golden Globe Awards
. Additionally, it won:
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
thriller film written by Anders Thomas Jensen
Anders Thomas Jensen
Anders Thomas Jensen is a Danish screenwriter and film director.Jensen won the Oscar for his 1998 film Election Night...
and directed by Susanne Bier
Susanne Bier
Susanne Bier is a Danish film director best known for her feature films Brothers, After the Wedding and the Academy-Award-winning In a Better World.-Life and work:Susanne Bier was born to Jewish parents in Copenhagen, Denmark...
. The film stars Mikael Persbrandt
Mikael Persbrandt
Mikael Åke Persbrandt is a Swedish actor. In Swedish films he usually has lead roles and “tough guy” parts. He is perhaps most famous for his recurring role as the no-nonsense police officer Gunvald Larsson in the latest installment of the Martin Beck movies...
, Trine Dyrholm
Trine Dyrholm
Trine Dyrholm is a Danish actress, singer and songwriter. Dyrholm received national attention when she placed third in the Danish, Dansk Melodi Grand Prix as a 14-year-old singer. Four years later, she again achieved national recognition when she won the Bodil Award for Best Actress in her debut...
, and Ulrich Thomsen
Ulrich Thomsen
Ulrich Thomsen is a Danish actor.Thomsen was born in Fyn, Denmark and graduated from the Danish National School of Theatre and Contemporary Dance in 1993, after which playing on several theatres in Copenhagen, such as Dr. Dantes Aveny, Mungo Park and Østre Gasværks Teater.His film debut was in...
in a story which takes place in small-town Denmark and a refugee camp in Africa.
A Danish majority production with co-producers in Sweden, In a Better World won the 2011 Golden Globe Award
68th Golden Globe Awards
The 68th Golden Globe Awards was broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on January 16, 2011, by NBC. The host was Ricky Gervais....
for Best Foreign Language Film
Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the awards presented at the Golden Globes, an American film awards ceremony.Until 1986, it was known as the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film, meaning that any non-American film could be honoured...
and the Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
at the 83rd Academy Awards
83rd Academy Awards
The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2010 and took place February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, Academy Awards ...
.
Plot
Anton (Mikael PersbrandtMikael Persbrandt
Mikael Åke Persbrandt is a Swedish actor. In Swedish films he usually has lead roles and “tough guy” parts. He is perhaps most famous for his recurring role as the no-nonsense police officer Gunvald Larsson in the latest installment of the Martin Beck movies...
) is a Swedish doctor who commutes between his home in a town in Denmark and his work in a Sudanese refugee camp. In Sudan, he often treats female patients who are the victims of a sadistic war lord. One day the war lord comes for treatment of his wounded leg. To the horror of his staff and others, Anton treats the man, after demanding that no weapons and only a few of his guards are taken inside the hospital. However, after the war lord shows contempt for his victims, Anton drags him away from the clinic, allowing him to be lynched by local people.
Anton is married to Marianne (Trine Dyrholm
Trine Dyrholm
Trine Dyrholm is a Danish actress, singer and songwriter. Dyrholm received national attention when she placed third in the Danish, Dansk Melodi Grand Prix as a 14-year-old singer. Four years later, she again achieved national recognition when she won the Bodil Award for Best Actress in her debut...
). They have two young sons, the older one being 12-year-old Elias (Markus Rygaard), but are separated and struggling with the possibility of divorce. Christian (William Jøhnk Juels Nielsen) is a new boy at school who has just moved from London with his father, Claus (Ulrich Thomsen
Ulrich Thomsen
Ulrich Thomsen is a Danish actor.Thomsen was born in Fyn, Denmark and graduated from the Danish National School of Theatre and Contemporary Dance in 1993, after which playing on several theatres in Copenhagen, such as Dr. Dantes Aveny, Mungo Park and Østre Gasværks Teater.His film debut was in...
). Christian's mother recently died from cancer, and Christian blames his father for lying to him that she would get well, and that, in a late stage of her disease, he "wanted" her death. Elias is bullied at school until he is defended by Christian, who assaults the main bully and threatens him with a knife. Christian gives Elias the knife, and both boys lie to the police and their parents about the incident.
When Anton separates his younger son from another child while they are fighting at a playground, the father of the other child, a mechanic, aggressively tells Anton not to touch his child and slaps Anton in the face. Anton later visits the mechanic at his work, accompanied by his children and Christian, to discuss the matter and show the children he is not afraid of the man. The mechanic slaps Anton again, who does not flinch from the blows.
Christian and Elias decide to make a bomb to destroy the mechanic's van on a Sunday morning so no passers-by are hurt. However, with the fuse already burning, they see two joggers approaching, and Elias leaves his protected position to warn them. He is knocked unconscious but saves the joggers from harm. Christian is questioned by the police and then released with the incident being addressed as an extreme case of vandalism. He goes to the hospital to visit Elias, but Marianne does not let him, telling him he is a psychopathic murderer. Christian, believing Elias is dead, goes to the roof of a silo, contemplating suicide, but he is rescued by Anton. Christian is relieved that Elias is doing well, and he is now allowed to visit him.
Christian reconciles with his father, and Anton and Marianne have sexual relations, apparently resuming their marriage.
Production
The idea for the film originated when Bier and screenwriter Anders Thomas JensenAnders Thomas Jensen
Anders Thomas Jensen is a Danish screenwriter and film director.Jensen won the Oscar for his 1998 film Election Night...
had discussions about the perception of Denmark as a very harmonious society. They then wanted to write a story where dramatic turns of events would disrupt the image of a place perceived as blissful. The development of the narrative started with the character that would be played by Mikael Persbrandt
Mikael Persbrandt
Mikael Åke Persbrandt is a Swedish actor. In Swedish films he usually has lead roles and “tough guy” parts. He is perhaps most famous for his recurring role as the no-nonsense police officer Gunvald Larsson in the latest installment of the Martin Beck movies...
, and the idea of an idealist who becomes the victim of an assault. The two writers had no specific actors in mind while developing the story but rewrote details when the leads had been cast. The film was produced by Denmark's Zentropa
Zentropa
Europa is a film directed by Lars von Trier. Released in 1991, it is von Trier's third theatrical feature film and is the final film in the Europa trilogy....
in co-production with DR2
DR2
DR2 is a Danish television station. It is part of Danmarks Radio, the public service broadcasting company of Denmark.It was launched in 1996 as a satellite-/cable-only channel. This was highly controversial at the time, as it was considered close to a breach of public service principles that the...
and Sweden's Memfis Film, Sveriges Television
Sveriges Television
Sveriges Television AB , Sweden's Television, is a national television broadcaster based in Sweden, funded by a compulsory fee to be paid by all television owners...
, Trollhättan Film and Film i Väst
Film i Väst
Film i Väst is a film company located in Trollhättan, Sweden, founded in 1992. Lars von Trier used its facilities in his movies, such as Dogville and Manderlay.-Walk of Fame:...
. It received seven million Danish krone
Danish krone
The krone is the official currency of the Kingdom of Denmark consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It is subdivided into 100 øre...
r from the Danish Film Institute
Danish Film Institute
The Danish Film Institute is the national Danish agency responsible for supporting and encouraging film and cinema culture, and for conserving these in the national interest....
as well as funding from the Swedish Film Institute
Swedish Film Institute
The Swedish Film Institute was founded in 1963 to support and develop the Swedish film industry. The institute is housed in the Filmhuset building located in Gärdet, Östermalm in Stockholm...
, the pan-Nordic Nordisk Film- & TV-Fond and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
's MEDIA Programme. Filming started at the end of August 2009 and took place on Funen
Funen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
and in Kenya.
Themes
Director Susanne BierSusanne Bier
Susanne Bier is a Danish film director best known for her feature films Brothers, After the Wedding and the Academy-Award-winning In a Better World.-Life and work:Susanne Bier was born to Jewish parents in Copenhagen, Denmark...
said: "Our experiment in this film is about looking at how little it really takes before a child – or an adult – thinks something is deeply unjust. It really doesn't take much, and I find that profoundly interesting. And scary."
Critical response
Kim Skotte called the film a "powerful and captivating drama" in PolitikenPolitiken
Politiken is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper, published by JP/Politikens Hus.The newspaper comes third among Danish newspapers in terms of both number of readers and circulated copies ....
. Out of the four collaborations between Jensen and Bier, he considered In a Better World to be the one most similar to Jensen's solo films and compared the combination of biblical themes and high entertainment value to Jensen's 2005 film Adam's Apples
Adam's Apples
Adam's Apples is a 2005 Danish comedy-drama film directed by Anders Thomas Jensen. The film revolves around the theme of the Book of Job. The main roles are played by Ulrich Thomsen and Mads Mikkelsen.- Plot :...
. Skotte also praised the acting performances: "Mighty Mikael Persbrandt shows that he is Scandinavia's most charismatic actor right now. Trine Dyrholm's scenes are fewer, but in a split second she can dramatise the canvas to make the throat lace itself. Also Ulrich Thomsen is good as grief-stricken single father. With her successful directing of the two boys Markus Rygaard and William Jøhnk Nielsen, Bier adds a new chapter to her already extensive resumé of top tuned skills." Peter Nielsen of Dagbladet Information
Dagbladet Information
Information , full name: Dagbladet Information , is a Danish newspaper published Monday through Saturday.Originally established and edited by Børge Outze and published during the World War II by the Danish resistance movement. Information was illegal during the war as it was not regulated by the...
called In a Better World "in all ways a successful film", and although there "is no doubt that Susanne Bier can tell a good story", he was not entirely convinced: "She can seduce, and she can push the completely correct emotional buttons, so that mothers' as well as fathers' hearts are struck, but she doesn't earnestly drill her probe into the meat."
Accolades
On 19 January 2011, it made the shortlist for Best Foreign Language FilmAcademy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
and on 25 January, it was selected as one of the final five nominees and won as the Danish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
at the 83rd Academy Awards
83rd Academy Awards
The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2010 and took place February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, Academy Awards ...
. The film also won for Best Foreign Language Film at the 68th Golden Globe Awards
68th Golden Globe Awards
The 68th Golden Globe Awards was broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on January 16, 2011, by NBC. The host was Ricky Gervais....
. Additionally, it won:
- Rome International Film Festival 2010:
- Marc’Aurelio Audience Award for Best Film
- Marc'Aurelio Grand Jury Award
- Sevilla Festival de Cine 2010:
- Best Director
- Best Screenplay
- Tallinn Tarta, Black Nights Film Festival 2010:
- Best Male Actor
- Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2010:
- Creative Excellence Award
See also
- List of submissions to the 83rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Danish submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film