reaction of the guests

I thing that's one of the main points of the movie: how the guests who might reperesent the "mass" in our society can act like "nothing happens"? How can they be so hipnotized by the media (or the music and hedonism in this case)? Basically none of us wants to leave our comforting and enjoyable status.

Of course this view is a little bit magnified but it is what actually happens in many families and in the world.

Most of us do not like to see the ugly parts of our planet, of our families, of ourselves, its more appealing to focus only on the nice portion, as if the the rest of it was not our problem...

Interesting study of human response, isn't it?

Having had incest exposed in my mother's side of the family, all I could think of doing was to add a perspective of someone touched by it.

The first thought that struck me was the courage it takes to stand up to the adults of your childhood and be the one to yell out that the emperor has no clothes on...

And then to be as committed as Christian to keep coming back to face the fear that almost paralyzes you, trying again and again. Yes, he temporarily weakened when cornered by his boogeyman papa, but then even the Apostle Peter weakened after being warned that he would by the Christ. His character demonstrated amazing fortitude until his quest was completed.

But I stray... On the subject of this thread, I witnessed my grandparents covering up for my uncle's possible incest as they also did with his adolescent emotional problems, possibly as a result of Encephalitis lethargica, which was common in the 1920's. I might also mention that it was also common for adults in those days to keep secret all manner of failings by family members. Grandpa may have been an alcoholic, a great uncle may have died from syphilis, a great aunt who manifested signs of schizophrenia committed suicide laying under her umbrella at the beach one day... However, all such things were hushed up as though to speak of them might somehow create a common guilt that would infect all the other family members by association. Oh, and you would no doubt be looked down upon by society in general as well.

In my case, the crime of incest was exposed by a very courageous cousin of mine, and the driving motive was to sound the alarm and try and protect extended family members, grandchildren, etc, which may well have been on the character Christian's mind as well. My cousin's sisters reaction to her divulging this painful and very personal truth was oddly enough, anger. Even though they were without doubt molested too, they were bitterly angry with my cousin for making such crimes public, at least publicly to the family. It's been years now, and I'm not certain that the other girls have ever been quite able to come to grips with their suppressed memories and confronted the truth.

Another motive may have been what is common knowledge in medical circles that molested children sometimes grow up to be molesters themselves, and that all eyes should henceforth be wide open in the aftermath of such revelations, in an effort to prevent history from repeating itself.

It seemed to me that the family and friends portrayed in the film were at one point making a desperate attempt to flee the scene until it became obvious that they were being made to stay and become witnesses to this uncomfortable expose. Yes, what would we do? What could we do, other than serve as witnesses?

We probably aren't in a position to offer evidence and have either of the parents arrested. We may be drunk enough to express our horror by verbal or physical attack. But, on the whole, the evidence remains heresay and the problem primarily a family matter, to either report the father, deliver him to medical care, disassociate from one or both of the parents, or perhaps all three. In this case, the father inferred disassociation was a given.

The film was moving, and I've always been amazed at the frequency of such a crime in this day and age and in a society that considers itself, for the most part, civilized.

I guess the invited guests trying to honor the host whatever happens and I feel they assume what Cristian say is not necessarily true, plus Helge stories about Christian's imaginary friend who can muster the opinion that Christian have mental illness. And after Helge's daughter (I forget his name) read the Linda's suicide letter all guests were trying to understand because there are words of frills in a dream when Linda returned raped by her father. For me it is the words that are intentionally added by Helge's daughter so that guests assume Linda have hesitate at the time, and for a scene of the last meal for me it not for Helge cause Michael expelling Helge to out.

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Last film's I've Saw (All Re-Watch Expert Vinding Vivian Maier):

Festen 9,75/10
Colossal Youth 9,40/10
The Wire S01Ep05 The Pager 10/10
Tokyo Godfathers 8,45/10
Vinding Vivian Maier 8,60/10
Chaplin (1992) 7,15/10

Some reactions were more realistic than others.

I think the guests were startled but thought Christian was maybe mentally ill.

It's that man again!!