When the Light Breaks
It was the first time for me to watch Icelandic movie. When the Light Breaks is only 82 minutes long, which talks about the grief of a group of young people after their (boy)friend died in an explosion in a tunnel, when he (Diddi) was heading to the airport flying west to break up with his current girlfriend, Klana, so that he can continue his relationship with another girl he really loves, Una.
Una and Diddi used to have a bright future because they have ideas for their relationships and travel, but the light breaks due to a fatal accident. As the secret relationship can no longer be revealed, Una is unable to speak comprehensively to anyone about her grief, until Diddi’s friend Gunni tells her that he knows because Diddi says.
Adolescence vs adulthood
The film has a lot of scenes showing how sad, struggling or challenging this young generation is. They have to face uncertainty (plans can’t be expected and they can’t be as happy as Teletubbies who can celebrate their graduation) and need to seek how to relieve on their own ways (like drinking, gathering in one of their homes to dance and cry, going to the coast to watch the sunset), but they have no idea what to do next.
This is adolescence, but how about adulthood? Una's father picks her up on the day when Una knows the death of her boyfriend, but asks her when she starts smoking, in which his daughter regards as inappropriate. That conversation happening on their own car shows an adult can't be mature as we think, and they know how to numb their emotions.
I am also curious about the adolescent life of the previous generation — maybe they didn’t need to face too much things they didn’t expect. If this is the difference between previous and current generations, how will the young people like Una become when they are adults? Will they be more resilient and mature especially when the world's more uncertain?
Scenes of the movie
Looking into small details are the features of this movie. There are some scenes that I love:
The last scene of sunrise. In fact there are three scenes of sunrise or sunset, but for the last one it can be sunset for some audiences, as BFI review percepted. For me, sunrise with full of clouds above the sun (while being clear down to the sea) is aligned with the movie name When the Light Breaks: sun rises with gradually more lights bringing hopes, but is then blocked by enormous amount of clouds.
Looking up the church like walking through the steps to the square on the ground (windows): not only how the architecture is amazing, but also the way of thinking by the youth nowadays.
When Klana and the image of Una on the glass overlaps: they are individuals who are alone, but they are the same.
