Kissed by Winter (2005)

A Masterpiece!

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Norwegian director Sara Johnson's Vinterkyss (translated into Kissed By Winter) is the story of a woman, Victoria, who loses her son and then moves to a small town in Norway in an attempt to distance herself from her situation. The themes of guilt and responsibility play a central role in this film, with Victoria, who is a doctor, dealing with the guilt of not having recognized the symptoms of leukemia in her own child. The other protagonist Kai also has to deal with this issue when he unwittingly kills a possibly suicidal man with his snow plough. The ensuing investigation into this man's death kept me unsure whether to view this as a drama or a murder mystery up until the very end. That Vinterkyss never fully settles into a comfortable genre made it impossible to simply react in a standard way to a genre, thus keeping the film fresh. The different viewpoints from which the film can be viewed also makes this film good for multiple viewings; for example Victoria's romantic relationship with Kai, which is presented as a natural and healing connection between the two, could also be looked at from the abandoned husband's point of view, or from the point of view of the townspeople, making it an entirely different film each time. It is very difficult not to like both main characters, seeing as the portrayal of both Victoria by Annika Hallin and Kai by Kristoffer Joner is done with amazing charm and warmth. The sincere love of Kai for Victoria and Victoria's inability to resist such a sweet man even in her difficult circumstances endears them to the viewer and makes you root for them, forgetting that Victoria's home situation is not something she can leave behind and still needs to deal with. The strong difference in the warmly-coloured shots of Stockholm which are shown as flashbacks and of the bleaker-toned events in Norway somehow manages only to highlight the positive aspects of each opposite; the beautiful Norwegian winter landscape is set off perfectly by the earth tones of urban Stockholm. Contrary to what is expected of Norwegian nature visuals, the shots in Vinterkyss are kept very shallow; the horizon is never clearly visible which creates a hemmed in feeling. This claustrophobia could be seen as a metaphor for Victoria's state of mind and her location. Victoria herself is continually shot noticeably close to her background and distant from the viewer, supporting Victoria's feeling of being cornered in a situation with the only solution being to return home and deal with her grief, a solution which she resists for as long as possible. Finally, even though this film was a thoughtful and considerate emotional drama, what really made me love it were the occasional moments of down-to-earth humor. This was mainly portrayed by the two peeping little boys who see everything and know everything first, but charmingly seem to keep everyones secrets for them. Vinterkyss similarly bares everything in Victoria's grief process, but still retains its simple charm and sympathizes the viewer to the very human and imperfect experience of Victoria.

The title of the film functions as a metaphor, meaning a sudden encounter with loss, grief and affliction. Victoria, the protagonist, is the one who was "kissed by winter". She escapes from Stockholm and holes herself up somewhere in the north of Norway in order to forget about her past. Then, unexpectedly, she discovers that she is not the only one who has to deal with a personal tragedy.Victoria's past is always present in her mind. We learn about that not only from the flashbacks of her former life, but also from the little gestures she does. When she examines the back of a little boy, one can sense that she thinks of her own son. Later she repeats this gesture when she makes love to Kai. No matter what she does, Sune in always in her thoughts. Furthermore, many children present in the story signify the embodiment of her sense of guilt. Thanks to many close-ups of astounding Annika Hallin, one's overwhelming impression is of an almost tangible tragedy.Some of the characters seem to play a role of "a mirror", in which Victoria can see her own reflection. For example, Kai was also abandoned and accused of murder, though not explicitly responsible. Therefore he can explain her - knowing from his own experience - that guilt and responsibility are two different things. On the other hand, Darjosh's father appears a very strict and demanding parent, just like Victoria used to be. But is that enough to blame both of them for the deaths of their children? Apparently, none of the characters will ever recognise the entire truth about Darjosh's death. The crime investigation woven into the plot fails to directly name the responsible. Clearly, some issues are beyond the scope of morality and cannot be easily judged. This message is emphasised by the usage of the song "Hallelujah" repeated in the film twice and performed by the late Jeff Buckley, who himself died in similarly unexplainable circumstances.In order to get back to her normal life, Victoria has to accept the reality as it is. She also has to "unfreeze" her emotions and learn how to forgive. Sara Johnsen does a fantastic job, portraying her character's gradual change in a slow pace. This meditative and moving film leaves the door open for a little hope at the end.

There is not a wasted word in this quiet and contemplative movie. Deep, crippling grief overpowers Victoria,a doctor, after death of her young son. Her pain is so overwhelming that she runs away from her home and life to a small town, during freezing winter. She spends her days working and grieving. In flashbacks we slowly discover what really happened. Actress Annika Hallin gave us an immaculate performance. With small understated movements and minute gestures she manages more than many an actress could with a waterfall of tears. Her frozen face and sad eyes bring the devastating pain that her character feels to every viewer.Powerful movie from Norway that will stay with us for a long time.

Loss of children, loss of life companion, the loss of meaning of life, still having to go on. A story of life and loss, realistic without any absurd twists. A Swedish female doctor goes to job in the Norwegian countryside to get away from her feelings after her son's unexpected death. Only to meet more of it, at the same time as she also finds positive things in life, dealing with her own trauma. A film that makes you think about life, and the way we live it. A close, near story, but not without us questioning her doings. I find the film could easily be made more touching and more sentimental, but the realistic setting of a true life story is compelling enough. The story is revealing how easy it is to misunderstand and misinterpret actions in a situation where you're looking for reasons, that may be not there in the first place. Life is not always reasonable...