Heartstone Hjartasteinn
In acclaimed Icelandic film HEARTSTONE, two teens share a summer as one tries to win the heart of a girl while the other finds new feelings toward his best friend. When summer ends, it's time to leave the playground and face adulthood.
Winner of the Queer Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival. Nominated for the Discovery Award for Best Film at the Toronto International Film Festival. Official Selection at the Frameline Festival.
"Many coming-of-age stories come out every year, but few manage to transmit the vulnerability and violence that define what is perhaps the most complicated and exciting stage of our journey through the world." - Paula Arantzazu Ruiz, Sensacine
"... An emotionally authentic, often poignant look at growing up and growing aware." - Gary Goldstein, The Los Angeles Times
Running Time
125 mins
Year
2017
Kanopy ID
4460401
Filmmakers
Features
Languages
Subjects
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Comments (21)
It seems that commenters are limiting their own scope of Christian as a character by diluting him to the surface of a queer child's identity, thereby completely erasing his personhood. Christian attempted suicide for many reasons. The pain that Christian endured was more than sexually driven ...Read more
It seems that commenters are limiting their own scope of Christian as a character by diluting him to the surface of a queer child's identity, thereby completely erasing his personhood. Christian attempted suicide for many reasons. The pain that Christian endured was more than sexually driven but driven by the construct of a nuclear family, gender, abuse, alcoholism and finance. This was a poignant film about the process of learning empathy in all facets and the process of emotional development. The plot was driven by immature views of personhood and to reduce Christian's suicide attempt to sexual confliction is doing exactly what the characters in this film did to Christian. The kiss at the end was intelligent and demonstrated the power of love for one's friend and dichotomized with the rejection from Beth, the scene could not have been stronger. Great film, but one that can be dangerously misconstrued.
Read lessSo Quinn from Howard University, if one does not like the film and therefore disagrees with your opinion one is dangerously misconstruing it? I say reducing characters to simplistic stereotypes is misconstruing truth.
My point was that Christian wasn’t which is why I used misconstrued. I think you did not see the character’s depth, which can happen sometimes.
This movie reminded me why I left a small, rural town.
Very dated sensibilities. Here we have the pathetic young gay kid who attempts suicide because of unrequited love towards a straight friend. Has this filmmaker never been exposed to the New Queer Cinema of the 1990s? So much has changed in film. Yes it's well done but why??? This is the ...Read more
Very dated sensibilities. Here we have the pathetic young gay kid who attempts suicide because of unrequited love towards a straight friend. Has this filmmaker never been exposed to the New Queer Cinema of the 1990s? So much has changed in film. Yes it's well done but why??? This is the second melodramatic gay-themed film I've seen on this site whose description belies the content. Come on Kanopy personnel take a film class.
Read lessI think you're limiting your own scope of Christian as a character. You dilute him to the surface of a queer child's identity, thereby completely erasing his personhood. Christian attempted suicide for many reasons. The pain that Christian endured was more than sexually driven but driven by ...Read more
I think you're limiting your own scope of Christian as a character. You dilute him to the surface of a queer child's identity, thereby completely erasing his personhood. Christian attempted suicide for many reasons. The pain that Christian endured was more than sexually driven but driven by the construct of a nuclear family, gender (i.e. how Christian viewed himself in the mirror with makeup, which has nothing to do with which way his penis points), abuse, alcoholism, and finance. This was a poignant film about the process of learning empathy in all facets and the process of emotional development. The plot was driven by immature views of personhood and to reduce Christian's suicide attempt to sexual confliction is doing exactly what the characters in this film did to Christian. The kiss at the end was intelligent and demonstrated the power of love for one's friend. Dichotomized with the rejection from Beth, the scene could not have been stronger. Great film, but one that can be dangerously misconstrued.
Read lessTim, I get your point and I agree that films representing LGBTQ have come a long way from what this film presents. But remember that the American culture does not reflect and represent the rest of the world, if gay is accepted and in a much-advanced state now in the U.S., it is still an ...Read more
Tim, I get your point and I agree that films representing LGBTQ have come a long way from what this film presents. But remember that the American culture does not reflect and represent the rest of the world, if gay is accepted and in a much-advanced state now in the U.S., it is still an unthinkable taboo in other cultures and these people need to be represented. Also, think of the individuals who are gay but do not have the courage to come out and live something like Christian's life.
Read lessThis is the result of Divorce and alcoholic families, skids are not healthy and happy
so intimate, so important
Scenery was stunning. Their idyllic and rugged land is broken by the very imperfect worlds that the adults and young teens create. It reminds me that we overcome our childhoods is nothing short of a miracle. In the end, this is another coming of age movie, with two teen boys trying to figure ...Read more
Scenery was stunning. Their idyllic and rugged land is broken by the very imperfect worlds that the adults and young teens create. It reminds me that we overcome our childhoods is nothing short of a miracle. In the end, this is another coming of age movie, with two teen boys trying to figure out their sexuality.
Read lessI love coming-of-age movies, and sexual preference is irrelevant. This film is about intimacy, and a culture that more often than not drinks away its feelings instead of talking about them. This boy from Eastern Europe brings with him a tenderness to all living things, and that starts a ...Read more
I love coming-of-age movies, and sexual preference is irrelevant. This film is about intimacy, and a culture that more often than not drinks away its feelings instead of talking about them. This boy from Eastern Europe brings with him a tenderness to all living things, and that starts a little revolution.
Read lessWell that was beautiful
i have nothing else to add, everyone else has said all i could hope to express. highly recommend this film.
This movie is an achievement on all levels. Technically that wickedly beautiful land must have been an incredible challenge to shoot. The wind, the air, the light, the shadows. As for the actors, I was given a full meal of a person no matter what portion of screen time they were allotted. ...Read more
This movie is an achievement on all levels. Technically that wickedly beautiful land must have been an incredible challenge to shoot. The wind, the air, the light, the shadows. As for the actors, I was given a full meal of a person no matter what portion of screen time they were allotted. Desire, tenderness, rage and resignation. Breaking glass, rusty doors, weathered beams, bruised faces. Whispers and taunts, and love maybe.
Read lessOverall, I'm compelled to agree with Jonathan's assessment. Many of the themes touched on by the film are instantly recognizable as the negative values and behaviors traditionally associated with oppressive small-town life: the small-minded gossip, feral youth bursting with raging hormones ...Read more
Overall, I'm compelled to agree with Jonathan's assessment. Many of the themes touched on by the film are instantly recognizable as the negative values and behaviors traditionally associated with oppressive small-town life: the small-minded gossip, feral youth bursting with raging hormones and struggling with barely contained emotions, the distant, clueless and "selfish" parents who seem to provide little guidance, the wannabe young hoods, the exercise of questionable recreational choices, the needless cruelty among teens in search of a thrill, the dearth of self-reflection and ample states of denial. It's all here, but, sadly, hardly the sole province of small towns or even the 1950s. The injection of elements of danger into the plot could be seen as a cynical ploy to elicit an emotional response designed to divert the viewer's attention away from the fact that this might just be the standard angst-ridden, teen-driven melodramatic indictment of small-town life cited in the previous review. Still, the cinematography is pristine, the acting is realistic and genuine, and the landscape is used to great advantage. If we of today could only make life a little less complicated for ourselves as human beings, then life as depicted in Heartstone might yet become the historical relic we would have thought it should be by now.
Read lessSo much works in this film (the acting, the cinematography) that it took me a while to realize just how cliched and retrograde the story is. I won't spoil the plot here, but the major developments make Heartstone in line with an unenlightened 1950s American melodrama.
Agreed. There was ost opportunity in this film as in so many gay-explorative/oriented works; it almost seems as though such are fated to have overall negative impact. Actually, gays are jut as apt to have happy experiences and lives as anybody else. A pity that films and novels can't seem to ...Read more
Agreed. There was ost opportunity in this film as in so many gay-explorative/oriented works; it almost seems as though such are fated to have overall negative impact. Actually, gays are jut as apt to have happy experiences and lives as anybody else. A pity that films and novels can't seem to break out of a stereotypical pattern of negativity,.
Read lessLoved it, even if it was heartbreaking.
Beautifully done. Be prepared for sad things though.
Quite honestly I lost it. I don't know why films like these don't get more traction. These are important subjects to explore. I speak a little Icelandic, so that is what drew me to it, but the film truly deserves a world-wide audience.
This is a very well done film at times so poignant with the harsh realities of a small town and coming of age .. very touching and beautiful scenery