COLD LIGHT (Kaldaljos) (Hilmar Oddsson, Iceland/Norway/UK/Germany, 2004, 93 min.).THEMES: PTSD & AVOIDANT PERSONALITY. Supernatural phenomena and magical realism are prominent in Icelandic folk traditions and in the films we get from that country. A combination of preternatural powers and flashbacks of traumatic events burdens the protagonist in this story, Grimur (Ingvar Eggert Sigurosson), a 30-something man whom we meet as he first enrolls in classes at an art school. He and Linda (Ruth Olafsdottir), one of his art instructors, develop a romantic relationship. When Linda becomes pregnant, Grimur’s torturous flashbacks of an avalanche that killed his family escalate and he pulls away from her, in the manner one commonly sees in so-called “avoidant” personalities: people who were traumatized in close relationships in the past and protect themselves from further loss or injury by steering clear of intimacy (“once burnt, twice shy” goes the old adage). The film is decently constructed and acted, but it moves slowly and fails to evoke much of a gut response despite its poignant themes. (In Icelandic) Grade: B- (02/05)
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