Thelma: A powerful story that awakes your senses
- Joyce Mendonça
- May 6, 2018
- 2 min read
Joachim Trier, the director brings us a brilliant psychological thriller that explores widely the relation between supernatural, religion and human connections, all this through the eyes of the intriguing Thelma. We first met her as a child in the bucolic and breath-taking landscape of a small town in Norway where lies the keys to unlock the secret behind her enigmatic nature.
Thelma (Eili Harboe) now a young adult begins a journey of self discovery when moving to Oslo for college. The first big shot of the university campus creates an aura of mystery for what its coming next, this is a feeling that we have throughout the film which draws the audience longing for more.
Our heroine looks shy and naïve with lack of social skills but at the same time there’s something dark and fascinating about her. Starts in one afternoon in the university library when she violently convulses on the floor moments after meeting the beautiful Anja (musician Kaya Wilkins), to whom she will fall in love.
The suspense is masterly created along the film by making use of big plan shots and in between scenes like when both Thelma and Anja are lying on bed in their rooms and Anja appears in front of Thelma’s building.
The actress, Eilie Harboe gives a striking performance portraying the pretty and self-contained Thelma, using perfect timing to display emotions.
This disturbing and powerful drama shows a change of style for writer-director, Joachim Trier but with the same melancholic glance as seen previously at “Oslo, August 31st”. We see the use of symbolism illustrated by birds, snakes and the extreme religion that surrounds Thelma. All those elements contribute to a strong narrative that tells us the story of a young woman discovering herself and living her first love, all wrapped in a supernatural dimension.
Trier creatively manages to captivate the audience with this singular view on youth and human connections.
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