REVIEW: ‘The Swan’
Photo: In The Swan, Gríma Valsdóttir stars as Sól, a young girl sent to the northern countryside of Iceland. Photo courtesy of Synergetic Distribution / Provided by K2 Publicity with permission.
The Swan (Svanurinn) is a quiet Icelandic film that packs quite a wallop. The drama, which was released in theaters this summer, follows a young girl as she is taken in by extended family on a remote farm in the northern reaches of the island nation. Her adjustment takes some time, but she eventually becomes fascinated by the farming life and the cast of characters around her.
Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir makes her filmmaking debut with The Swan, and she is able to capture many excellent performances, especially from Gríma Valsdóttir, who plays the lead character of Sól. She is wide-eyed and sad when she arrives at the family’s farmhouse, having been abandoned by her parents. Her youth means she doesn’t quite understand the reasoning behind the move or what this new life has in store for her.
She meets several family members and locals, but the ones who leave the deepest impression are the farmhand Jón (Thor Kristjansson) and Sól’s cousin, Ásta (Þuríður Blær Jóhannsdóttir). As Jón and Ásta struggle through their own romance, Sól watches and learns about life and love. She seemingly has a lot of questions, but she’s the type of child who keeps to herself and lets those questions linger.
On occasion, Sól sees an adult situation not meant for a child’s eyes, and she rightfully becomes confused and upset. She doesn’t have too many parent figures to help her process this coming of age, and that ultimately proves to be the saddest part of this sad, sad movie. Here’s a sweet girl in need of some direction and love.
One of those adult situations deals with a calf on the farm. Since the cow was born, Sól takes care of it, raising it like a pet and loving its fluffy fur. When the day comes that Jón needs to kill the animal and serve up some veal on the lunch table, Sól is horrified, and the family doesn’t hold back. They make her learn a lesson of what it takes to have meat in one’s diet. It’s a harsh, even cruel display of circle-of-life reckoning — doubly distressing because a child has blood splattered on her face in the process.
The wide scenic shots are beautiful, showcasing the natural wonders of Iceland and its verdant countryside. That nature can also be foreboding. There is a local legend involving a monstrous swan that lives over a mountain and in a crystal blue lake. Són obviously has questions about this mystical beast, but before she finds out any answers, she must learn about these other strange creatures living around her: adults.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Swan (2018), written and directed by Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir, stars Gríma Valsdóttir, Thor Kristjansson and Þuríður Blær Jóhannsdóttir. In Icelandic with English subtitles. Running time: 90 minutes. Rating: 
