‘When The Light Breaks’ – An emotional movie about loss and grief
Image: Source: IMDb
When The Light Breaks is a stirring cinematic offering from Iceland that may possibly be one of the most depressing movies to hit Australian cinemas in recent years.
The story centers on a teenager named Uno (Elin Hall) who seems to have experienced some emotional upheavals during her all-important younger years. When she believes some positivity has been restored in her life tragedy occurs and once again, she’s on an emotional decline.
She finds solace in her group of friends, and collectively they attempt to process what has happened, managing their loss and grief and remembering a dear friend who was so unexpectedly torn away from them.
There is only a glimmer of happiness in the opening sequence in this tearjerker and the remainder of the movie is dark and tearful until the very last frame.
Elin Hall heads a predominantly youthful ensemble cast who all deliver remarkable performances in this challenging coming-of-age story, which required them to be solemn at best for the majority of the project.
Beautifully filmed in the picturesque landscapes of Iceland, this is a profoundly affective slow-burning drama that may be emotionally draining for sensitive audiences.
The movie successfully answers the questions which most people wouldn’t want answered from experience – what is it like to lose a loved one? How do we filter such a loss emotionally? Can happiness and positivity be restored? And most importantly will life ever return to normality?
The passage of time heals everything. There is hope after suffering such shattering news as insinuated in the finale – togetherness and friendship are therapeutic and the right direction to emotional recovery – even between rivals.
★★★½
Jul 24 – Aug 14. All Palace Cinemas. Screening as part of the Scandinavian Film Festival.
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