A drama focused on a life-changing moment in 67-year-old train engineer Odd Horten's existence: the evening of his retirement.
Genre(s): Comedy, Drama
Runtime: 90 minutes
Rating: 7.0/10 (1,049 votes)
Release Date: 26 December 2007
Country: Norway, Germany, France
Languages: Norwegian
Company: Bulbul Films
Sound: Dolby SR, Dolby Digital
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for brief nudity.
Director(s): Bent Hamer
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Producer(s):
Catho Bach Christensen - line producer
Karl Baumgartner - co-producer
Jim Frazee - executive producer
Christoph Friedel - co-producer
Bent Hamer - producer
Alexandre Mallet-Guy - co-producer
Mads Peter Ole Olsen - executive producer
Writer(s):
Bent Hamer - writer
Cast:
Baard Owe - Odd Horten (as Bård Owe)
Espen Skjønberg - Trygve Sissener
Ghita Nørby - Fru Thøgersen
Henny Moan - Svea
Bjørn Floberg - Flo
Kai Remlow - Steiner Sissener (as Kai Remlov)
Per Jansen - Lokfører
Bjarte Hjelmeland - Konduktør
Tone Stern Bergersen - Jente i svømmebasseng
Peter Bredal - Brevmann
Music: John Erik Kaada
Catho Bach Christensen - line producer
Karl Baumgartner - co-producer
Jim Frazee - executive producer
Christoph Friedel - co-producer
Bent Hamer - producer
Alexandre Mallet-Guy - co-producer
Mads Peter Ole Olsen - executive producer
Writer(s):
Bent Hamer - writer
Cast:
Baard Owe - Odd Horten (as Bård Owe)
Espen Skjønberg - Trygve Sissener
Ghita Nørby - Fru Thøgersen
Henny Moan - Svea
Bjørn Floberg - Flo
Kai Remlow - Steiner Sissener (as Kai Remlov)
Per Jansen - Lokfører
Bjarte Hjelmeland - Konduktør
Tone Stern Bergersen - Jente i svømmebasseng
Peter Bredal - Brevmann
Music: John Erik Kaada
Posted on: May 12, 2009
April 8th, 2009
This is a film unique and intriguing in its own special way. Theapparent lack of emotions of the story indeed tells of so many emotionsand speaks so many words unspoken. The interactions of Odd with othereccentric people on his retirement night indeed reflect his innerfeelings of eagerness for a new start on one hand and hisunpreparedness for loss of his routines on the other. The humaninteractions in the film are portrayed in such a frank and pure waythat the whole film is filled with a subtle warmness despite the snowystreets of Oslo. By breaking away from the "rails" that had rooted himto the ground for so many years and by embarking on a new stage oflife, Odd finally has the time to redeem, rediscover, and toreappraise, and to finally live a life without pre-set rails andtracks. A very warm, touching and enchanting piece of work which is attimes surreal and at all times unique. It may be short of wordssometimes but is never short of a uniquely human touch.
April 12th, 2009
If you are troubling with falling to sleep at night, this movie isprobably the perfect cure. Or if you are among those people whoactually found "Eternity and a day" by Theodoros Angelopoulosentertaining (these unsuccessful attempts on creating "poetic" moviesabout human existence…), you will probably enjoy O'Horten as well.O'Horten is simply an extremely slow-going, unbelievably boring movieabout a not interesting man and his not engaging life. I often findsilent movies interesting (for instance "Pelle Erobreren", "Le tempsqui reste", "The Ice Storm" etc), but this movie is nothing but apainful glimpse into the poor Norwegian cinema industry. That's what itis. A reflection of how weak Norwegian movies are at the present.
Stay away (unless you haven't slept in a week)
(**The two stars are for the nice tunnel-shots in the opening scene)
May 29th, 2009
In Norwegian director Bent Hamer's third film to be seen Stateside(following 'Kitchen Stories' and 'Factotum'), a man named Odd Horton(Baard Owe) retires after 40 years as a train conductor. His face is aswrinkled as scrunched-up parchment, but he's erect and vigorous enough.What the heck is he going to do now? Clair Denis' wonderful '35 Shotsof Rum' (whose US release is coming later this year) also begins withthe idea that without tracks and timetables to show him the way arailroad engineer who's put out to pasture may be particularly lost, aswage earners go, even desperate. Denis' is an ensemble film full ofwarmth and connectedness, but sad for the conductor. Horton, who's odd,alright, maintains a Nordic blankness we never penetrate, but — sadly,it seemed to me — his meanderings end happily enough. After enduringso much wry tedium one would like to have been rewarded with a littlemore pessimism.
Because he's a solitary who keeps a bird in a cage, which he coverswhen he goes out, Horton gives a momentary hint of Alain Delon's lonelysamurai in Jean-Pierre Melville's classic noir. One may also contrastHorton's dry world with the garish and curiously tonic pessimism ofIslandic helmer Aki Kaurismaki, who concluded his "Loser Trilogy" with'The Lights of the City,' which records the downfall of a patheticloser who becomes a would-be gangster, an utterly failed samurai.Horton, perhaps unwittingly, flouts convention and even breaks the law.When he loses the way back to his retirement celebration he winds upbreaking and entering, he flees from lesbian lovers who interrupt hismidnight swim wearing the high heels of one of them, and he abandons acorpse in a car. To please his near-catatonic aged mother, whose onlyresponse when he visits her is a smile he does not see when he refersin leaving to her youthful prowess as a ski jumper, he steals a pair ofold skis and for the first time in his life does some late nightski-jumping of his own. Earlier, he consents to ride with a very oddman (odder than Odd) who claims he knows how to drive blindfolded,again at night, in a classic Citroen DS.
Some of the dry jokes seem gratuitous. Odd habitually dines alone in anold-fashioned restaurant. The cook is taken out in handcuffs by policeand the waiter, a wrinkled-faced Buser Keaton type just like Horton,announces to the room, "Of course don't expect me to take any more foodorders." What are we to make of the old man who keeps coming back intothe tobacco shop to ask for matches, because he keeps losing them? Atmoments that might be stressful Horton, like Jacques Tati's MonsieurHulot, takes out his pipe and lights it, or taps it on the bottom ofhis shoe. Bur Oslo is a whole galaxy away from the South of France.
Hamer's film takes a long time to get started. In fact it's hard to saywhen it does begin. Many tedious long shots of trains, tracks, and snowhave to be got through before Horton finally loses his way, andsomething begins to happen. Maybe it's when he oversleeps in a littleboy's room and just misses his last train run, that we know his newlife, or a transition into it, has finally begun. His decision to sella boat leads to a long series of wild goose chases at an exaggeratedlyKafkaesque airport where he is repeatedly searched and run throughscanners. Is Hamer comparing modes of transport, and suggesting themore old-fashioned ones are preferable? The railroad will work for 40years, a Citroen is good for a deadly ride, a streetcar will do in apinch, a boat was once okay — but airplanes, never, ever? All of asudden his adventures and misadventures are over, Horton's doffed histrainman's uniform, donned comfortable-looking civvies, and there heis, still in a train station, but settling down to a good life (for thefirst time, perhaps?) with a good woman. He seems to have replaced thatspooky chirping bird with the dead man's cuddly dog.
Hamer's episodic structure here might owe something to Swedish directorRoy Andersson, whose 'You, the Living' I saw in Rome two years agoafter its release in the film festival there. Andersson's elaborate setpieces, triumphant celebrations of gloom, sparkle and charm, however,while Hamer's mises-en-scene are relatively flat and conventional. Afilm like 'O'Horton' must repay patience; it is unwatchable without it.We are never allowed into the mind or emotions of its protagonist. Thewry humor, the missteps that lead to reassuring choices, hardly justifythe slow, uneven pacing. 'Factotum' remains Hamer's best effort so far.It doesn't go anywhere, but neither do the books of Charles Bukowski,from which it's drawn.
June 3rd, 2009
we are moving in a great direction on film….this one confirms it.trains in Europe are of much interest.the weather adds to it. thecoming of age comes across. true characters in all cast. the music wasperfect.a soundtrack to own. i could breath while watching this movie.the smoke shop scene was of my taste. the dog was interesting as well.it takes you away the whole movie. first movie of this actor i believei have ever seen.or was he in the kitchen movie as well?….yes BentHamer did it again.few people can appreciate this kind of films..i amone of them.i would buy to my collection.to watch every once in awhile.
August 2nd, 2009
What I most liked about "O'Horten" was the quiet likability of all thecharacters, and from the most staid to the most eccentric, charactersthey all are. It's almost as if Norwegians come from a different placethan the rest of us.
We've seen lots of Swedish films over the decades, but these stoicNorwegians make the Swedes seem positively Mediterranean in comparison!The emotions expressed quietly – very quietly – in the film includelove, respect, loyalty, and non-judgmental relationships betweenstrangers. What's more, it's quietly funny! Of course, there is abigger point, too; i.e., It's never too late.
Baard Owe, perfectly cast as Odd Horten, is wonderfully supported by acast that includes Espen Skjonberg and Henny Moan. A quiet, captivatingfilm.