The Forgiveness of Blood

Released:  February 24^th, 2012

Rated:  NR

Distributor:  Sundance Selects

Starring:  Tristan Halilaj, Sindi Lacej, Refet Abazi, Erjon Mani

Directed by:  Joshua Marston

Written by:  Joshua Marston, Andamion Murataj

Personal Bias Alert:  likes movies that make you think, not at all familiar with Albania

7.7 of 10

            The Forgiveness of Blood is at once incredibly foreign and instantly understandable.  It’s a tale of changing times, where the old and the new grind against each other until, like the earth, one must give way.  My family long since uprooted from deeply held traditions, as have many families in America, but there is still a struggle between the generations, a sharp difference in how we react to our rapidly changing culture, that makes the crux of The Forgiveness of Blood universal.

            Writer/director Joshua Marston chose two talented rookie actors, Tristan Halilaj and Sindi Lacej, to play his teenage leads.  As the eldest siblings, much of the fallout lands on them when their father murders a man and incites a blood feud.  According to Albanian tradition, the family of the slain has the right to kill any man from the murderer’s family, so when their father flees, Halilaj’s Nik is forced to hide out in the family home.  Since they also have little money, Lacej’s Rudina must quit school and take up her father’s bread route to make ends meet.

            Needless to say, neither child is happy about these developments.  Both are forced into the situation by their elders but have markedly different reactions.  Nik takes the straight-up petulant route, recklessly acting out his frustrations while Rudina works slyly to resolve the feud.  There is a way to compromise with the other family, but it takes time, money, and some choking up of pride, which the elders seem reluctant to do.  The whole song and dance of the feud is ridiculous to the younger folks, and it’s the stubborn refusal of the elders to change a clearly broken system that drives Nik, Rudina, and all younger folks insane.

Adding to the fissure between Nik, Rudina, and their family is the encroaching influence of modern technology.   Computers and cell phones have crept into their lives, giving the teenagers access to a much broader world than their parents experienced.  The difference shows in almost everything about Nik and Rudina, from their ideas to their clothing, and is a constantly lurking disconnect as, for the first time, they begin interacting with people like adults.  It’s an interesting thing to tack on considering how full the film is with commentary on growing up, traditional gender roles, and societal traditions.  And yet, the film would’ve seemed lacking without it.  Technological changes seem to be messing with everything now, and to look at how rapidly its introduction can affect a culture says more about its influence than technologically saturated Western films like Men, Women, and Children possibly can.

The Forgiveness of Blood is a dense, rich story when you consider how much it’s talking about, but the plot itself is rather light.  The trick to making a film like this is finding some reason for it to be entertaining as well as intellectually stimulating.  It’s here that Marston comes up short, failing to imbue his film with enough narrative tension and pace to prevent you from checking your watch every now and then.  It’s never boring per say, but it never grabs you nor gives you a solid reason to latch onto these characters.  It’s too one-sided in its perspective, clearly favoring Nik and Rudina over the adults, to have much uncertainty about what’s right and wrong.

Even if you aren’t glued to your screen, The Forgiveness of Blood will certainly keep you thinking long after it concludes.  It’s thick with smart observations that its inexperienced cast handles with remarkable ease.  Marston obviously had a clear vision for this film and the wherewithal to pull it off; it’s just too bad he didn’t bother to make the piece entertaining as well.

Other Notes:

Ø  It’s nicely shot with excellent framing, but it the cinematography does nothing to convey the sense of isolation that is weighing down on Nik and his family.

Ø  It’s not unrated for anything nasty.  I’d say this is a PG-13, with mature tone and themes intended for teenagers and up.

Ø  Nik had it right.  Track jacket sleeves look good pushed up.