LivinGology

A Story of Sadness OR Analyzing Reality

I recently saw a Lukas Moodysson's movie called Lilja 4-Ever. I didn't really get into the movie while watching it and it was only when I started thinking about it when the enormous amount of sadness it's charged with stroke me. It's a story about 2 poor children, one of which Lilja is forced to use her most intimate means to survive. For those who haven't seen it, I'm sorry, I just don't have the time to retell the whole story. But those who've seen it might find some of the impressions I'm sharing interesting...

Who are Lilja and Volodya?
What are their hopes and dreams for the future?

Lilja and Volodya are two children who try to live a happy life despite all difficulties. They talk to and about God, hoping things would get better just because they have been good. Lilja manages to keep her innocence until the very end of the story, symbolized by her turning into an angel and her eyes always childish. Both children have the feeling that the life they live is temporarily and try escaping from it by...fantasisying about death. Their relationships is based on pure childish love and friendship. Volodya, even though younger, feels like protecting Lilja. And he becomes her angel.

Lukas Moodysson wants his movie to change the world.
How does it make difference?

The movie assumes that the line between life and death is very thin.It requires a lot to get close to it but very little to cross it. And some of us are born right next to it, like Lilja and Volodya.
Most sad movies are based on true stories and so did Lilja 4-Ever. According to the movie, we live normal happy lives but are at the same time unaware that others around us do not. Do we know what our neighbour is doing right now? Are we ourselves doing the right thing? Is it our own choice? The movie shows reality withour make-up. Have you thought why it's so sad? Because we all know that what happened to Lilja and Volodya could happen to any of us. We all have our dreams, dignity and innocnece but someone could deprive us from that any minute. Or we could be that someone. Which one is more frightening? Has anything changed a lot since we were cavemen? How? The least developed individual defines the development of the whole humankind. So if this is our reality, are we not worse than cavemen now?

How does the movie represents Sweden?

1)Sweden is great! It is so far in its development that it is not in the eye of the beholder anymore and it's able to analyze and judge such problems from a neutral position.
2)Sweden sucks! There are sick people in Sweden too, even though the country is on the cutting edge of technological and humanitarian development.

Why Lilja 4-Ever?

This movie instills that there is no beginning and no end, no life and no death, no victim and no oppressor, we are all part of the same matter. By not respecting others, we do not respect ourselves, by killing others we kill ourselves.