Two Questions about the Ending (SPOILERS)
Why do you think the boy's self portrait said "Forgive Me"?
I interpreted the very end of the film to be her permanent return to her home and husband. My Love felt the opposite. What did you feel?
Though it's shown early and non-linearly, he drew the picture right after throwing the skates out the window. Further flashbacks show Victoria continually ragging on him to be more active, but not knowing he was sick he likely was just feeling very guilty about not being able to do what she was asking of him. I don't think he meant for anybody else to see that portrait, but was just expressing his guilt.
I think she intends to go back to her husband, but it being left open-ended, I don't think it will work. Her personality is to be very confident in her opinions and jump to conclusions, shown both with Sune and her also her mis-read of Darjosh's suicide. I can't see how her husband could forgive her for long if that personality keeps manifesting.
On the other hand, maybe she was right, I'm not completely convinced Darjosh's death wasn't a suicide. Impaling his shoeless feet mercilessly on the ski-binding pins and jumping helmetless with crashing almost a certainty, seems like a deathwish. In earlier-future shots of him lying in the road he sure seemed dead already, before the plow buried him. And by the way, was that a goof, showing his body being loaded onto the gurney and also lying in the temporary morgue, with a scarf wrapped around his ears and head? All the action shots later/earlier show him bareheaded as he jumped, and lying in the road before he was hit.
thank you. that's very helpful.
Ad hoc, Ad loc, Quid pro queeee,
So little time and so much to see
I think the last scene, in which Victoria repeatedly begs her husband "Forgive me" and the two emotionally embrace, strongly implies a reconciliation of their marriage. And while you're right about Victoria being guilty of rushing to conclusions, I think by the end, she's learned her lesson, so I'd give the marriage a fighting chance to work. But many times when a child dies, the parents divorce. Such a death is extremely polarizing. It usually either brings the couple close together or drives them apart; there's little in between.
I'm not convinced that Darjosh committed suicide. He might've just been trying to get out his frustration and sorrow by doing something reckless but not intending to die. The movie seems to leave that open to interpretation, but if he did intend to die, I suspect that he wouldn't have gotten up and attempted to walk after the crash.
Good notice about Darjosh with and without the scarf. And if you watch at the moment he's hit by the snow plow, his legs break off, making it obvious that it was a dummy! But that's just about the only flaw I've seen in this fantastic movie that I recommend to everyone.