Set in 1978 Oslo, Norway and based off of Nikolaj Frobenius’ autobiographical novel “Theory and Practice,” Sons of Norway focuses on a progressive and hippie-esque family comprised of Magnus (Sven Nordin), the father and architect of the housing complex they live in, Lone, the caring mother, and their two sons Nikolaj (Åsmund Høeg), the main character, and Peter. Tragedy soon strikes when Lone is hit by a car and dies soon after. Struck by grief and anger, the elder two males each handle the situation differently. Magnus goes into a depressed funk and then begins work on a glass house while Nikolaj turns to the culture of punk while Peter is shipped off. With a firm understanding of the Scandinavian culture during the late 70s and punk rock’s rebellious influence on the younger generation, Jens Lien’s Sons of Norway is an intensely original coming-of-age story that, while full of heart, is as anarchic as punk itself.
The film starts off with a punked out looking Nikolaj throwing a bottle at a man giving a speech. We then cut back to five months earlier when Nikolaj was a nice boy that simply enjoyed punk music. There are three distinct points in the film that influence Nikolaj to turn into a rebellious youth. The first is when his mother dies and he becomes the caretaker of his home, looking after both his depressed father and naive younger brother. The second is when he is introduced to his first Sex Pistols album in which he becomes instantly hooked and the lyrics start to penetrate his mind. The third is the one that puts him over the edge and happens when his father asks his relatives to look after his younger son Peter until the mess with their mother is sorted. Now with no one to take care of or be a role model for, Nikolaj is ready to transform, creating a new wardrobe for himself and piercing his cheek with a safety pin like a true badass.
What I loved about this film is that it evolves in a way that you wouldn’t expect. When the mother dies and Peter is shipped away, Nikolaj feels always obligated to convert himself into a real punk, one with piercings, built up rage, and a disregard for complete authority. But this is all an allusion because under that angry and pierced façade is just a boy who doesn’t know what to do with himself, struggling to find his identity amidst his father’s realization that he too wants to rebel alongside his son. Nikolaj is left confused and angry because if you can’t separate yourself from your family, how can you separate yourself from anyone else? Furthermore, how can you be considered a rebel when your parent decides to copy your style?
As much as the film is about Nikolaj, it’s very much about Magnus as well and how he works trough Nikolaj’s change and his own personal growth. When the father embraces the ideology of punk but also reaches out to his radical hippie roots, it becomes a father/son dramedy as the two embark on a bonding road trip m
otorcycle adventure. This trip involves a visit to a nudist camp and a lot of unflattering camera angles of middle aged men and women and Nikolaj catching his father having sex. There are many other hilarious moments between the two characters but what makes it all work so well is the amazing chemistry that the two had. Granted, they both gave some very sensitive, engaging, and overall wonderful performances, it’s the chemistry that sells you on the father/son bond.
Sons of Norway isn’t your run of the mill teen-angst flick. There is so much going on in the life of Nikolaj that his coming of age story is anything but typical and instead we get to see a story that’s unique, smart and authentic, a story that feels real and oh so Scandinavian. Backed by an awesome punk rock soundtrack and even a brief appearance from Sex Pistol front man Johnny Rotten, Sons of Norway is a film that takes you down the stressed out and unpredictable road of a boy in turmoil with the final result being an unsuspecting and surprisingly heartfelt cinematic gem.
Rating: An intensely original coming-of-age story that, while full of heart, is as anarchic as punk itself (7.5/10)
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