Force Majeure (film)
| Force Majeure | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Ruben Östlund |
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| Written by | Ruben Östlund |
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| Music by | Ola Fløttum |
| Cinematography | Fredrik Wenzel |
| Edited by | Jacob Secher Schulsinger |
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Production
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| Distributed by | TriArt Film |
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Release date
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Running time
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119 minutes |
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| Box office | $1.4 million (US) |
Force Majeure ([fɔrs maʒœr]; Swedish: Turist, "tourist") is a 2014 Swedish drama film directed by Ruben Östlund. It follows the marital tension resulting from an avalanche during which the husband, named Tomas, is believed by his wife to have prioritized his own escape over the safety of his family. The title used for the film in some English-speaking countries comes from force majeure, a contractual clause freeing both parties from liability in the event of unexpected disasters.
Force Majeure was acclaimed upon release, with critics praising its script and cinematography. It won the Best Film award at the 50th Guldbagge Awards, and was named one of the best films of 2014 by various publications.
The film presents a week in the life of a Swedish family staying at a luxury resort in the French Alps: a businessman named Tomas, his wife Ebba, their young daughter Vera and preschooler Harry. The family is happy as they ski, ride the ski lift, brush their teeth, sleep, and play with Tomas' new drone toy from the balcony of their ski lodge.
On their second day of skiing, a controlled avalanche goes awry and threatens them as they are having lunch outdoors on the deck of a restaurant. Tomas, who is filming the avalanche on his phone, panics and runs as the deck quickly empties of patrons, leaving Ebba with their children encased in a dense fog. Silence ensues, and the voice of a waiter says, "It's over. It's safe now." Patrons return to their tables as the fog dissipates. Tomas returns to the table and acts as if nothing happened. No one is hurt, but Ebba and the children are subdued as they eat.
After lunch, the cleaning man enters their lodge suite to clean just before they arrive. They insist the kids go inside first so they can talk in the corridor. The kids are upset there is a stranger inside, but the parents are angry with them and don't listen. They enter their lodge suite as the cleaning man exits. The children angrily tell them to leave, as they play a video game.
That evening they eat dinner with one of Ebba's friends, who has picked up an American man for the evening. Ebba tells the story of the avalanche in English for the benefit of the American, but Tomas insists he did not run away from the table, and in Swedish adds that one cannot run in ski boots. They argue in front of their embarrassed guests. They pick up their kids after the meal and argue again outside the room door. Ebba is angry that he wouldn't admit he ran away from the avalanche abandoning them. He says he remembers it differently.
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Wikipedia