Elias was adorable (why did everyone hate him?)

I also thought Elias was adorable. But, no matter how cute or nice a kid is, there will unfortunately always be other kids around to bully them (and if there's no reason to bully them, the bullies will find a reason). It could be simply because he wore a retainer. Who knows. I only know I wanted kick that Sofus in the nuts!

Elias was sweet, loved his family, seemed to have a good relationship with his parents; however, he seemed to be a follower, not a leader. Christian was the kind of kid that a shyer, bullied kid would look up to, and eventually try to emulate. It was gut-wrenching to see how sad Elias was when Christian didn't want to be friends anymore, before he finally agreed to participate in the bombing. I don't think he would have helped Christian, if he hadn't felt that he wouldn't lose his only friend if he didn't agree.

The culture in Scandinavia seems really different than in the US. It was made clear that the whole blowing-up-the-van thing was seen as 'extreme vandalism', and was going to be handled by social workers, and not in a court of law, as it would here in the sue-happy USA. Even the principal and teachers/guidance counselors had a totally different attitude than the same people would have at a school in the US. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but radically different.

Elias was weak. The end.
His face, his teeth... It's all an excuse. He was alone and defenseless. That makes him a perfect target.
And kids know who's the weakest link. So they all pile on because they don't want to be on the bottom.

- Retainer
- Foreign dad
- Relatively small
- Didn't fight back
- No friends who stood up for him (before Christian arrived)

-> perfect target for bullies.


When I'm gone I would like something to be named after me. A psychiatric disorder, for example.

He was adorable indeed !!! great actor too !

Often people will bully someone they are jealous of. The bullied person doesn't have to have anything wrong with them. It's so hard to be bullied, but the one with the problems are the bullies.

Polexia: (continuing this thread three years later ...)

I think part of the message of the film is exactly that: there is no real reason for Elias to be bullied, except xenophobia. A parallel is continually drawn between what's happening with his dad in Africa. In school, Elias's "Swedishness" appears to be his major flaw. Absurd, we might say - but it helps point out how what's happening in the African village is absurd as well, where pregnant women are victims of a horribly twisted game.

But in the real world, it turns out this isn't all that absurd. I've been involved in international translation for many years, and the divisions that people make even within a culture are often just as absurd. We could not, e.g., have a Croat translate for a Serb, even though they use basically the same language (with slight variations in grammar and pronunciation, as in American vs British English). French Canadians do not want to hear translation by a native of France, and vice versa. Spaniards balk at having to listen to a Central or South American translator, etc. etc. etc. And this is within business or spiritual communities where one would think people would want to find common ground!

I just saw this film for the first time tonight, and haven't digested it fully, but I don't think there are throwaways in it - everything has a purpose, down to the spider web Anton sees early on, to the way the African boys are war-playing with sticks at the very end. It's not an easy film and definitely not a feel-good one. So the whole bullying thing is universalized by pointing out its weakest aspects.

As for the encounter with Sofus - I just looked at it in slow motion, and it simply appears to be a slice of white bread that Sofus crushes (not throws) into Elias's face. It's definitely something very white and square - I thought it might be dirty handkerchief, but it's too neat even for that. Hope this helps ... if anyone else has another take, I'd be happy to hear it.