Film Review Three: "Oslo, August 31st"

Oslo, August 31^st: An Urban Vignette

Director: Joachim Trier

Lead Actors: Anders Danielsen Lie

Distributor: The Match Factory

Running Time: 96 minutes

            One of the most beautiful aspects of film is that, in such a brief amount of time, an intricate story may be told. Writer and director Joachim Trier’s Oslo, August 31^st is the quintessential example of this phenomenon.

A quick glimpse into the life of one man, Anders (Anders Danielsen Lie) Trier’s second feature film gives us a mere ninety-six minutes of one day. This life is one riddled with thoughts of suicide and struggling with addiction, but full of hope and pleasantness. Trier gives us a lovely quasi-vignette that takes the audience through feelings of happiness, sympathy and disheartenment. One traverses across this spectrum of emotions scene by scene, while being able to fully connect with the main character.  

Anders is a man in his early thirties who has just come out of rehab. He is looking for a job and to reconnect with family and friends with whom he has lost touch. During the course of this rediscovery of past relationships, one theme becomes apparent: no one is perfectly happy in the life they lead, no matter what kind it may be. Anders finds that his friends are struggling, just as he is, with finding themselves and what they want; recovering drug addict or middle-class father of two (a friend Anders visits), everyone has their trials and tribulations in the city. It is as if Oslo is another character in the film, providing the backdrop for these people to interact as well as being the one true connection between them and all of their problems.

 The film opens with several different shots of Oslo paired with off-screen voices speaking about their relation to and memories of the city. The shots appear handheld, amateur and grainy, adding an individual feel to the opening moments of the work. Juxtaposed with the rather calm aesthetic of the rest of the film, these opening images serve to show that the film is a personal narrative. From the onset, memories, experiences and environment are introduced and remain throughout.

            Just as the beginning of the film illuminates the city’s importance, the film’s conclusion does so as well. Several shots of the city with its various sounds conclude the film. Oslo—the city—is a place where several people have stories to tell everyday, one of which comprises Trier’s work.

            Amongst the masses, there are individuals.

Leaving near death behind in nature, in the countryside, the city seems to breathe life into Anders. Oslo urges him to push through the day-long journey we are shown, and he marches on.   This march is to the rhythm of Anders’ own beat because the city, like most of those he comes in contact with, is an old, encouraging friend.

One of the most poignant elements of the film is the soundtrack. Filled with youth and spirit, the selected compositions bring an air of vivacity to the images displayed on screen. As Anders takes a cab into the city, an upbeat song plays over the radio as the camera scans the skyline through the window from his point of view. As if it were gradually coming to life, the music becomes louder and louder, mirroring Anders’ condition upon re-entering the life he used to lead. The chosen music allows the audience member to connect with the main character and allows Anders to seem like a real, everyday person.

While the film does not have the appearance of the French New Wave at first glance, Trier’s work is rather reminiscent of Agnes Varda’s Cleo From 5 to 7. Not only does music play an important role in both films in illuminating the characters’ situations, but the two works also follow one day in the life of the main character. This day is filled with gradual self-discovery and awareness, the characters finding out what is best for them, and how they wish to continue living their lives. Much like Cleo, Anders roams the city attempting to map out where he is headed.

Oslo, August 31^st is the French New Wave meets modern Norway, and it is done very well. 

 While the ending may leave one dismayed or confused with Anders’ ultimate decision, we are left wondering and are enthralled along the way. One of the most remarkable effects the film had on me is that it allowed me to partake in the life of someone very different than myself. Like many films, it allowed me to escape my own life and dive right into another’s.

Yet, Oslo August 31^st is not like many films. It is its own creation. I felt that I was given a believable, beautifully simplistic portrayal of someone struggling in ways that I might not be able to empathize with, but that I can be fascinated by.

The production elements of the film add to this sense of realism in that the story is simply told; no fancy camera movements, no flashy editing—just story. There is nothing particularly striking about the techniques implemented in the film other than that they do not distract. The cinematography is smooth, the editing is logical and the locations are true to the narrative. The simplistic approach taken by Trier allows the audience to be enveloped by the film and to forget that they are watching a movie.

Yet, Oslo, August 31^st calls for the utmost attention. Anders and the city are one, are alive, and this simple yet creative representation of a normal life of one man is a true mark of merit. Trier makes ordinary extraordinary by simply letting a story be told.