Rams (Hrútar)

Dir: Grímur Hákonarson

2015

****

Grímur Hákonarson's 2015 award winning Hrútar (Rams) is an unexpectedly complex comedy/drama about quite a simple premise. The film starts by following Gummi, a sheep farmer living in a part of Iceland's remote countryside. We learn that his sheep are a unique breed, one of a kind and he clearly has a lot of affection for them. He readies his best sheep for the annual 'best in show' competition in the local town but is left distraught when he only comes second. Not only does he believe his sheep is the best but he is annoyed by the fact that it is his own brother Kiddi that has beaten him. We then learn that he hasn't spoken to his brother for forty years and they are bitter rivals, communicating only when they have to via sheepdog, even though they live next door to each other on the same farm. Gummi, overcome with jealousy and frustration (and because he knows his brother is lazy, an alcoholic who doesn't know as much about sheep-farming as he does) goes outside and inspects his brother's winning sheep, only to discover it has all the symptoms of scrapie, a fatal degenerative disease that could wipe out the areas flocks by forced cull. Knowing his flock could also be infected Gummi finds himself in an uncomfortable predicament. To be honest I was expecting all out comedy from Rams but that was far from the case. While there are humorous moments, particularly in the beginning of the film, most of it is drama, with some pretty unexpected dark moments towards the middle and at the end. I think it is much better for it. I can imagine and British version of the story and it would be awful. It would be predictable, would have cheap bestiality innuendo and it would have 'and they all lived happily ever after' ending to it, with an unnecessary romantic sub-plot too (not with a sheep). Grímur Hákonarson leads you one way in Rams and then takes you down a road you hadn't seen. Other than the way Rams bash their heads together, there is no particular symbolism to the film, no hidden meaning and no real logical conclusion. I wouldn't even say it is about brotherhood, more self-realization but then again no real message is rammed (excuse the pun) down the views throat. It's odd, a little irrational and a bit cockamamie and all the better for it. It's something a bit new, dark and funny but it would be a bit lazy of me to simply describe it as quirky.