Children of Nature (1991)

Thorgeir has grown old and is unable to run his farm anymore. He packs his few belongings, shoots his old dog, and leaves to the city. Living with his daughter's family doesn't work out too well, and he ends up in a nursery home - society's way of putting out people when they are no longer needed. There he meets up with Stella, and together they steal a Jeep and set out on a journey to northwest where they both grew up.Children of Nature can be a difficult film to comprehend for the casual viewer, as elements of magical realism appear suddenly and without explanation in this seemingly realistic film. However, one must be aware that this is a travel to the childhood, back to rural Iceland, where supernatural was (and partly still is) a very real part of the way of life. Through the film, Thorgeir also undergoes transformation from his very cynical outset that sees death as turning into mere trash that has to be thrown out.The beauty of Children of Nature is the way the simplistic road movie builds up into being commentary on urbanization, heritage, life and - most of all - death. The ending is one of the most powerful that I have ever seen.

A fantastic film. Gísli Halldórsson gives a great performance as always and really gives the movie a lot.It is a very beautiful film where the main contrast is not on spoken word but on what the eye sees and that is what makes this movie work not only in Iceland but worldwide. There is not word spoken for the first 20 minutes of the films and by then the viewer doesn't really care if the film is in Icelandic or in English or what ever other language.The movie clearly shows that you don't need to be 20 years old to be in love and how some people are simply children of natureOne of the best films i have seen. 10/10

This movie begins with Geirri leaving the family farm and moving in with his family. He's gotten to old to handle farming on his own, and his family has decided that they are more suited to life in the city. The attempt to merge into his daughter's hectic life doesn't work out and he finds himself in a nursing home, surrounded by fellow retirees - some of whom are loving the time and the freedom the home allows right alongside others who are not.Geirri meets up with Stella, a childhood sweetheart who has decided that dying in a nursing home is something she does not want to do. So, they decide to leave together. By the dead of night they steal a car and head for the towns of their youth...Geirri and Stella are running form the law (leaving the home without permission and, more importantly, car theft), but there is no 'Bonnie and Clyde' feeling to this story. They return to the towns they knew and remember the years together. There are spirits in their mind and spirits of the ocean who meet them along the way. You get an excellent sense of their strength, knowledge, and experience.All in all, this movie is very touching - until the end.I really appreciated the journey and the experiences Geirri and Stella have, but the plot twist that brings the viewer to a final scene which is (in my opinion) brutal, disturbing, and (to be frank) confusing end. Yes, Geirri running from the law, and yes, he is trying to maintain his freedom, but...the rocks and the feet...?Confusing and jarring. There was a fascinating mystical feel to the way the movie plays itself out, and one could theorize that the ending was more symbolic than realistic. But, why throw that kind of symbolism onto the end of such a touching (and realistic) movie?Even so, I highly recommend this movie. There's to much to be gained from the movie as a whole to allow the oddness of the ending to stop you from seeing it.

I´m sorry to say, but this film is one of the worst from Iceland. It has some of the most dumbest plot lines ever filmed, and everyone who has ever heard anything of Iceland knows that old people are not mistreated the way it´s portrayed in this flick. An Oscar nomination...give me a break. It would have been more believable to let Die Hard take place here than this film.