One of the reasons I enjoy watching foreign films is that they don't feel as constrained by genre boundaries as U.S. films seem to be. The Seagull's Laughter is labeled in its U.S. release as a comedy, but if you approach it expecting a typical comedy, with jokes and funny scenes, you'll be in for a big surprise. I'd say that The Seagull's Laughter has a dark sense of humor about its characters and situations, but it's quite subtle. The best way to approach the film is to simply let go of preconceptions about either humor or drama, and just enjoy this rather odd but quite intriguing film.

As The Seagull's Laughter opens, we see a quiet Icelandic fishing village, circa the 1950s, with life going on as usual... until someone new arrives. It's the beautiful, fashionable Freya returning to her home town after living in America for years. She's the epitome of fashion and style, completely modern and self-assured... and sure to have an effect on both the women and the men of the town. It's an immediately interesting situation, as Freya is sure to have an impact; the only question is exactly what effect that will be, and whether it's going to be the effect that she really wants. Will style and sex appeal alone be enough to get her what she wants? And exactly what does she want, anyway?

At the same time, The Seagull's Laughter is the coming-of-age story of young Agga, who lives with her grandmother in the house where Freya comes to stay. Agga is immediately extremely suspicious of Freya, going so far as to denounce her as evil to the local constable. Is she unreasonably jealous of this new arrival, or is she much more perceptive than anyone else in the family? Since much of the film is given from Agga's perspective, it's an interesting question, and one that develops into an intriguing ending.

The Seagull's Laughter is a very self-confident film, to its own credit. There's mystery here in spades: who is Freya, exactly? What's going on with the women in the town? What really happened to certain characters? But also: where's this film going? What's it about? When I find myself asking that question, normally it's a bad sign about a film, but in this case, I was simply intrigued by this story that was leading me into unknown territory. The Seagull's Laughter may go in unexpected directions, but it never wanders: I always had the sense that there was a developing narrative, and I was interested to find out where it would all end up.

The Seagull's Laughter is mainly realistic in style, but there's also an ongoing element of the fantastic woven into it, which can be considered more or less important depending on your interpretation of the film. The name "Freya," for instance, is the same as an ancient Norse goddess, and Freya seems very fond of wandering at night around the hills where fairies are reputed to live. Is there a hint of the supernatural about her? Is it just a coincidence that she wants to play the role of the "Fairy Queen" in the town play? This element is slipped in fairly subtly, and it adds an interesting angle to the film.

The DVD

Video

The Seagull's Laughter appears in a sparklingly clean anamorphic widescreen transfer, at the film's original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Many of the scenes in the film are quite demanding in terms of image quality: in shots like the opening one of a seagull flying in a clear blue sky, any grain or noise would be immediately apparent. It's to the film's credit, then, that the print is as crisp and clean as it is: even the most challenging shots look clean and noise-free. Colors are handled very well throughout the film, as well. It's an interesting combination of a muted palette for the landscape background and well-chosen bright colors and intense contrasts in the clothing that Freya and others wear. Some edge enhancement does appear, making the image not quite as crisp as it could be.

The English subtitles are optional. They appear in an easy-to-read white font.

Audio

The Icelandic Dolby 2.0 soundtrack does a good job of presenting the film. Dialogue sounds clear and natural throughout the film, and the musical portion of the soundtrack is robust without ever interfering with the rest of the track. Optional English subtitles are also included.

Extras

Of most interest to fans of the film will be five deleted scenes from the film. The "Making of Featurette" is only four minutes long, and basically promotional in nature. There's also a set of TV ads and the theatrical trailer for the film. The insert booklet includes a short essay by the director, discussing some aspects of the film.

Final thoughts

The Seagull's Laughter is a distinctive and slightly odd film; it's probably not for everyone, but I'd say that if you tend to enjoy foreign films, or films that have a unique feel to them, then you'll enjoy this intriguing Icelandic film. The special features are modest, but the transfer is very good; it deserves a solid "recommended" rating.