13/42
Depending on where you are from or what it represents, the subject of ‘Sex’ might be uncomfortable for you
Scenario
It follows two colleagues who struggle in different ways with the same issues related to their sexuality.. Of course, I don’t know much about Norway, nor have I seen many Norwegian films, and I know that this film might not be representative of the social environment of the nation. … However, I have to say that the emotional intelligence and calmness depicted in this film were most impressive to me.
In Norway it is different, or at least in this film
2 married heterosexual men in their 40s – one has just had spontaneous sex with a male client, and the other, no less a Christian, feels something is unraveling inside him with recurring dreams of David Bowie looking at him ‘as if he were a woman’. Imagine them talking about it with each other and with their wives. In almost any other country, I could imagine scenes of shock, emotional outbursts, arguments, accusations or denial – drama in other words. People are willing to talk and listen without trying to defuse, contradict, argue, intimidate or emotionally manipulate.
The 2 protagonists are not even intellectuals
They are chimney sweeps (I imagine they are considered professionals in their own right, but more manual laborers). But even when they interact with each other, there is no usual display of blocked masculinity. In every interaction with each character, they all seem to meet each other calmly, at eye level, without having to play the expected social role. The overall presentation of the film adds to this quality.
I am not saying that everything is perfect in Norway
The film is composed almost entirely of scenes of conversations and shots of cityscapes between them. All conversations are filmed in long takes with only the occasional change of angle or zooming in and out, showing the conversation and expressions in real time. What is said itself also remains very realistic, with the occasional fumbling with words or turning back to thoughts. Without flash cuts, scene changes or dynamic camera movements, the film encourages its audience to join in the conversation and listen, rather than being emotionally stimulated and reacting.
Nor may you fully agree with the situation and message of this work
There is emotional suffering that words cannot fully express, there are moments of hypocrisy, broken communication and, ultimately, the inability to fully understand each other. But the mature attitude of 'Sex' The spectacle of human interactions was in itself moving and represents something we should all learn from in this time of extreme polarity and instant stimulus everywhere.
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