When Connie Nielsen agreed to star in Susanne Bier’s Brothers, it was to become her first experience working in the Danish film industry. Born and raised in Denmark, she left the country at the age of 18 and went to Paris where she worked as an actress and a model. Eventually, she ended up in the U.S. where she became a movie star, not least thanks to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000). As a fan of the work of fellow Danes Thomas Vinterberg and Lars Von Trier, I’m sure Nielsen was excited about making a film with Bier whose work has ingredients in common with the Dogme 95 manifesto. 

About to embark on a journey to Afghanistan
After doing time for having assaulted a woman, Jannik Lundberg (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) is released from prison and his brother Michael (Ulrich Thomsen) is there to pick him up. Later that evening the Lundberg family gathers for a meal. Michael, a major in the Danish army, is about to embark on a journey to Afghanistan where he will serve under NATO’s flag, and his father (Bent Mejding) makes no secret out of the fact that he considers Michael to be a saint and Jannik a hopeless screw-up. Once in Aghanistan, Michael’s helicopter is shot down by Taliban insurgents and he’s captured. The Danish army believes that everyone on the chopper died and tells Michael’s wife Sarah (Nielsen) that her husband is dead. It is a major blow to her and their two daughters, but she and Jannik become closer as he takes it upon himself to do chores around the house.

Meantime, Michael is subjected to unspeakable horrors in the Taliban camp that will haunt him forever. 

Changing into something more complex
American moviegoers who’ve seen Bier’s U.S. debut Things We Lost in the Fire (2007) will recognize some of its elements here; we have a a woman who loses her husband and another male figure in her presence who now finds an opportunity to show her that he can be responsible. Bier is obviously interested in the dynamics of a family and enjoys presenting an initially one-note portrayal of the family members that changes into something far more complex.

As the story progresses, we learn that all Jannik needs to grow up and stop behaving like an idiot is a purpose, a reason to live. Michael on the other hand may be a perfect father and husband, but his darkest instincts are awakened when the Taliban use him as a tool;. When he returns to his family in Denmark, a potentially very dangerous mental breakdown seems inevitable even though he refuses to acknowledge his problems. Apart from being a gripping family drama, the film is also an admirable attempt to start dealing with the exotic fact that Danish soldiers are deployed to a very remote country and what consequences the mission brings. Superior performances by everyone, especially Thomsen and Kaas as the brothers; their efforts to find different sides to their characters deserve to be taught in acting classes. The children are also believable in their challenging parts.

The scenes from Afghanistan (Spain, actually) look utterly convincing and cinematographer Morten Søborg has done a good job of capturing the tension within the family on digital video… even though I fail to see what purpose his iris effect has, except claustrophobia. Johan Söderqvist’s music is discreetly but effectively used. 

How did Nielsen do in her first Danish film? She’s somewhat overshadowed by the brothers, but her job is to represent us as the person caught between them as circumstances change quickly and she does it well. She has a new Danish film planned for next year; let’s hope she gets a chance to dominate it.

Brothers 2004-Denmark. 110 min. Color. Produced by Peter Aalbaek Jensen, Sisse Graum Jørgensen. Directed by Susanne Bier. Screenplay: Anders Thomas Jensen. Cinematography: Morten Søborg. Music: Johan Söderqvist. Cast: Connie Nielsen (Sarah Lundberg), Ulrich Thomsen (Michael Lundberg), Nikolaj Lie Kaas (Jannik Lundberg), Bent Mejding, Solbørg Højfeldt, Paw Henriksen.

Trivia: Original title: Brødre. Remade in the U.S. as Brothers (2009).

Last word: “I am quite fascinated by the way we live in the West. Scandinavia is fairly small and fairly privileged, and we have this notion that we are protected and that nothing can happen to us. Since September 11, that sense of security isn’t so strong anymore – the big wide world is creeping in on us, for better or for worse – I don’t necessarily think it just bad. That sense of being protected also acts like a wall between us and the rest of the world, that I think is kind of unhealthy. I am fascinated by the way that we are being influenced by fear.” (Bier, Future Movies)

IMDb