A brilliant yet unsettling film that delves into the aftermath of the tragic murder of a young boy, Troubled Water demonstrates the power of reconciliation and forgiveness, and provides an interesting exploration of the Christian faith. Complex characters and interesting character development bring compassion and emotion to this powerful narrative, while cinematic techniques that present it as mystery-esque produce an altogether compelling storyline.
In the aftermath of Isak's death, the lives of his mother Agnes, and his killer Jan deteriorate around them as they grapple with the gravity of the situation, though in completely different ways. As an ex-con, Jan struggles to form a life outside of prison first by attempting to hide his shameful identity and reinventing himself as "Thomas" the quiet and talented organist. Although we are lead to believe throughout the majority of the film that Jan is innocent, it is revealed at the end that he was indeed a murderer and had withheld this information out of denial, shame and guilt. Likewise, it is clear that Agnes' fixation on the death of her son has begun to take over her life and strain her familial relationships due to her husband Jon's distress and her daughter Selma's dismay and jealousy towards the memory of Isak. Agnes' behavior reaches its climax when she goes so far as to kidnap Jens in an honorable though misdirected rescue attempt, yet almost immediately afterward demonstrates compassion and mercy in her momentous decision to save her son's killer from drowning.
Agnes' ability to forgive Jan and let go of the hatred that she had towards him is incredibly powerful and moving, as is Jan's ability to take responsibility for what he had done. These actions are so striking because they seem inconceivable and unimaginable to most. Much of the explanation behind this capability lies in the religious themes that are presented in the film. Through exchanges between Anna and Jan, Troubled Water gives an intriguing insight into the role of faith in accepting the way of the world. For example, Anna suggests at one point that "good things will come from bad things", and that everything should be left up to God. This becomes a major theme in the film, possibly even justifying the murder of Isak —an interesting concept.
The characters in Troubled Water give enormous depth to the story through their demonstration of complex emotions. This is especially apparent in Jan, who has gone through a huge transformation by the end of the film from a timid self-loathing man who is terrified of getting close to children and is in an incredible amount of denial, to someone who is not only able to form relationships with Anna and Jens, but will fight for and defend those relationships as well. Even Selma, Agnes' young daughter, demonstrates complex emotions— especially for a little girl. It is easy for viewers to sympathize with her struggle to become important and present in her mother's life, as opposed to the replacement child who offers compensation for Isak. Selma's articulation of her jealousy and disappointment shows maturity and wisdom, and gives depth to the film by providing yet another element of the agony associated with Isak's death.
Just as the characters draw the viewer in, cinematic techniques provide an element of mystery keep the viewer engaged. Throughout the film, Troubled Water provides only bits and pieces of the story surrounding Isak's death, cutting in and out of important scenes quickly before we really know what is going on. Recurring themes (the importance of water), relationships (the similarities between Jan's interactions with Isak and Jens) and cinematic techniques (unfocused close-up of Jan's eyes) also help to draw strong parallels between the past and present and help to fill in some of the holes—but only enough to keep the viewer completely engaged and wanting more. Additional cinematic techniques such as shots in which the camera is unfocused on the action, the use of shadows, and slow close-up pans present the story slowly and give an element of mystery to the film.
Overall, I was incredibly impressed with this film. It raises questions that are crucial to understanding human relationships—how does one move on from the death of a child? How does one forgive, and is forgiveness even possible? And what role does faith play in the drive and ability to forgive, can we place blame or does everything truly happen for a reason? Although Troubled Water fully explores these themes, the most compelling part about the film is that they are mostly unanswered, leaving the viewer thinking.
In the aftermath of Isak's death, the lives of his mother Agnes, and his killer Jan deteriorate around them as they grapple with the gravity of the situation, though in completely different ways. As an ex-con, Jan struggles to form a life outside of prison first by attempting to hide his shameful identity and reinventing himself as "Thomas" the quiet and talented organist. Although we are lead to believe throughout the majority of the film that Jan is innocent, it is revealed at the end that he was indeed a murderer and had withheld this information out of denial, shame and guilt. Likewise, it is clear that Agnes' fixation on the death of her son has begun to take over her life and strain her familial relationships due to her husband Jon's distress and her daughter Selma's dismay and jealousy towards the memory of Isak. Agnes' behavior reaches its climax when she goes so far as to kidnap Jens in an honorable though misdirected rescue attempt, yet almost immediately afterward demonstrates compassion and mercy in her momentous decision to save her son's killer from drowning.
Agnes' ability to forgive Jan and let go of the hatred that she had towards him is incredibly powerful and moving, as is Jan's ability to take responsibility for what he had done. These actions are so striking because they seem inconceivable and unimaginable to most. Much of the explanation behind this capability lies in the religious themes that are presented in the film. Through exchanges between Anna and Jan, Troubled Water gives an intriguing insight into the role of faith in accepting the way of the world. For example, Anna suggests at one point that "good things will come from bad things", and that everything should be left up to God. This becomes a major theme in the film, possibly even justifying the murder of Isak —an interesting concept.
The characters in Troubled Water give enormous depth to the story through their demonstration of complex emotions. This is especially apparent in Jan, who has gone through a huge transformation by the end of the film from a timid self-loathing man who is terrified of getting close to children and is in an incredible amount of denial, to someone who is not only able to form relationships with Anna and Jens, but will fight for and defend those relationships as well. Even Selma, Agnes' young daughter, demonstrates complex emotions— especially for a little girl. It is easy for viewers to sympathize with her struggle to become important and present in her mother's life, as opposed to the replacement child who offers compensation for Isak. Selma's articulation of her jealousy and disappointment shows maturity and wisdom, and gives depth to the film by providing yet another element of the agony associated with Isak's death.
Just as the characters draw the viewer in, cinematic techniques provide an element of mystery keep the viewer engaged. Throughout the film, Troubled Water provides only bits and pieces of the story surrounding Isak's death, cutting in and out of important scenes quickly before we really know what is going on. Recurring themes (the importance of water), relationships (the similarities between Jan's interactions with Isak and Jens) and cinematic techniques (unfocused close-up of Jan's eyes) also help to draw strong parallels between the past and present and help to fill in some of the holes—but only enough to keep the viewer completely engaged and wanting more. Additional cinematic techniques such as shots in which the camera is unfocused on the action, the use of shadows, and slow close-up pans present the story slowly and give an element of mystery to the film.
Overall, I was incredibly impressed with this film. It raises questions that are crucial to understanding human relationships—how does one move on from the death of a child? How does one forgive, and is forgiveness even possible? And what role does faith play in the drive and ability to forgive, can we place blame or does everything truly happen for a reason? Although Troubled Water fully explores these themes, the most compelling part about the film is that they are mostly unanswered, leaving the viewer thinking.