To say that I have mixed feelings about UTØYA: JULY 22 would be a massive understatement. This movie makes you suffer, grasp for hope and tremble with fear - in short: it moves you. A lot. And this is what any good movie should do.
But: UTØYA: JULY 22 fails to properly process on a dramaturgical level what is presented to the audience. It's just wading in terror and misery. And that is the problem.
I cannot speak for the survivors and certainly not for the victims and their families. But I find the movie to be a gross disrespect to all those who lost their lifes on Utøya and to those who have to live on with their horrific memories. You cannot use those people as a tool - a tool meant for letting anyone experience what sheer terror is but ultimately only can produce a simple reflection.
A few lines of context at the end of the movie do not resolve those problems.
But: UTØYA: JULY 22 fails to properly process on a dramaturgical level what is presented to the audience. It's just wading in terror and misery. And that is the problem.
I cannot speak for the survivors and certainly not for the victims and their families. But I find the movie to be a gross disrespect to all those who lost their lifes on Utøya and to those who have to live on with their horrific memories. You cannot use those people as a tool - a tool meant for letting anyone experience what sheer terror is but ultimately only can produce a simple reflection.
A few lines of context at the end of the movie do not resolve those problems.