Rams

Grimur Hakonarson's Rams surprised and touched me. The film portrays two long estranged Icelandic brothers who must work together when a virus threatens to destroy their beloved sheep. Both brothers' love for their animals is sensitively portrayed and is contrasted by the harsh conditions under which they live. This duality prevents the film from either being too mawkish or pitiless. Hakonarson's camera is attuned to the small details of his characters lives and how they assert their humanity in the midst of vast, indifferent nature.

Hakonarson's camera placement serves him well here. Whether establishing his community's isolation in a landscape shot or focusing on the protagonist's gnarled toes in close-up, he continually finds the right shot that serves his narrative's purpose. The film is so well constructed that none of its 93 minutes lag. The tone and photography are realistic, but infused with longing and affection through the daily struggles of the protagonist, Gummi.

Sigurour Sigurjonsson plays Gummi with a professional's assurance, never mugging or playing cute. The rest of the cast is amateurish, but in the best sense like Bresson or, especially, Kaurismaki. A ram judging contest early on has the same deadpan comic feel as Kaurismaki. But as the plight of the flocks worsen, the tone grows more heartfelt and builds to a moving last shot that is a Pieta like evocation of brotherly love. (9/6/16)