Film Review: Force Majeure, A dangerous white-out on the ski slopes

Force Majeure
Directed by Ruben Ostlund

Force majeure is a legal term common in contracts that essentially frees both parties from liability or obligation when an extraordinary event occurs beyond the control of either of the parties which prevents them from fulfilling their obligations.

It is a clause which does not feature in marriage contracts but one which Tomas in the film Force Majeure could well have referred to when he hits a slippery slope. Tomas (Johannes Kuhnke), his wife Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli) and their two children are on a skiing holiday in the Swiss Alps.

One day while dining on the hotels outside terrace a controlled avalanche sweeps down on the diners. Panic seizes the them and they scatter to avoid the snow,

Ebba and the children scream for Tomas to help but he has escaped along with many others. But what appeared to be a dangerous enveloping wall of snow is in fact merely a cloud of snowy mist created by the avalanche. Tomas returns and, they continue their family holiday of skiing and relaxing.

Although she does not react immediately, Ebba believes that Tomas acted inappropriately in leaving her and the children when faced with danger and like a slowly increasing avalanche their relationship is threatened. Director Ruben Ostlund examines their marriage in an almost forensic manner as the couple try to explain themselves to each other and their friends with Tomas in particular trying to avoid the truth of his actions. The audience is also confronted with moral issues – should Tomas have run or should he have tried to save his wife and children, to what extent should he admit his mistake and does his action reveal other aspects of his personality.

The disintegrating relationship is set against the background of the superbly manicured ski fields where every night the controlled avalanches and snow plows return the ski fields to their pristine condition, something not possible for Tomas and Ebba. The film also includes other relationships – an older friend of Tomas who is embarking on a new relationship with a 20-year old and a middle-aged women who chats to Ebba about her extra-marital relationships.

These add to this study of human relationships and interactions, which is incredibly believable. All couples will relate to the tensions and wary interchanges between Tomas and Ebba and will have conflicting moral and personal opinions and judgements about the couple. It is a beautifully slow and elegant film, which relies much on silence as well as the occasional snatch of Vivaldi to create an almost surreal environment for the couple to inhabit.