As opposed to a perfect world devoid of suffering, a better world would at least revolve without bullies to wreak terror upon our already difficult lives: suffering the death of a loved one, through a crumbling relationship or from a lack of basic necessities requires no bad guy, after all. That said, IN A BETTER WORLD’s limited release this week is interestingly timed, given President Obama's recent speech explaining America’s military response to Qaddafi's atrocities in Libya. Obama framed his reasoning as reflective solely of the specific circumstances on the ground, not emblematic of a one-size-fits-all doctrine. This nuanced approach falls perfectly in line with this film’s suggestion that no consistent philosophy exists for us to cling to in confronting those who mean us harm. Even the Bible contradicts itself in this way.
Needless to say, IN A BETTER WORLD could easily have devolved into heavy-handed moralizing and melodrama. But despite the harsh reality of its primary theme, I sat determinedly in my seat throughout the closing credits, not wanting to lose its glow. IN A BETTER WORLD's beauty intoxicated me – it won this year’s Academy and Golden Globe awards for best foreign film because it exemplifies why movies exist in the first place.
Anton is a Swedish doctor who lives in Denmark and lends his expertise at a desolate refugee camp in Africa. He and his wife Marianne, who have two young sons, are separated and contemplating divorce. Their ten-year-old Elias becomes fast friends with the new boy at school, Christian, who's bereft over the recent death of his mother. The two boys are caught in a spiral of revenge that begins when they retaliate against a schoolyard bully. The escalating violence engulfs their parents, who are forced to make sense of the chaos not only for their children, but for themselves.
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