Kjærlighetens kjøtere (Zero Kelvin) 1995

Today's film is Kjærlighetens kjøtere (Zero Kelvin) and it's from Norway.  It is a drama filled adventure set in the brutal arctic climate.

Larsen, our main character, is a poet who for some reason goes to Greenland for the trapping season.  I believe it is to get inspiration for his writings.  He is in love with Gertrude, and proposes to her.  She rejects his proposal and wants their "love to be free".  We also see her eyeing a handsome soldier riding a horse.  So I'm not sure that she really wants to be with him.

In Greenland, he meets Randbek the trapper/hunter and Holm, the scientist in their remote camp.  Randbek is not pleased at all that this scrawny little writer with his eyes set too far apart could even think he could help out as a trapper.  Larsen's talents are playing his fiddle and writing poetry.  He's not the kind of person I see spending time in the wilderness.

Gard B. Eidsvold, who plays Larsen.
His eyes bother me.

Larsen soon surprises everyone by proving he is very good at trapping foxes.  Everything looks good now.  But there's one huge problem: Randbek.  This entire movie is about Randbek's personal problems.  First of all, he's filthy.  Dude has lice.  Then, he has personality problems galore.  They seem to stem from when he caught his girlfriend cheating on him with a soldier.  This causes him to randomly outburst and destroy everything.  Unfortunately, Larsen is constantly a target for his rage.  Holm, the scientist, gets tired of their shit and leaves for the nearest town.  

So it's just Larsen and the spiteful dirty man alone in a cabin in a remote winter wonderland.  How about no.

In one of Randbek's ragefests, he accidentally burns down their cabin, so they set off on the dogsled to the nearest town.  Still, they continue fighting.

The final straw comes when Randbek beats up Larsen's favorite sleddog, Jane.  He keeps hitting and hitting her while she helplessly yelps.  Larsen comes out and shoots him.  I didn't really think he would come out and kill him.  I thought eventually they would learn to get along as mature adults and might be friends.  But sometimes assholes are just assholes and I don't feel sorry for a vicious animal abuser.  Larsen blames Randbek's death on the fire and everyone buys his story.  Even his girlfriend finds him more attractive, probably because he was on a dangerous adventure, but only Larsen knows the truth of what happened.

This movie was drama and suspense filled, and Randbek's fiery rage (and the fire itself) was a stark contrast to the beautiful snowy landscape.  I learned that sometimes you can't get along with some people, and you should just shoot them.  Randbek does everything he can to attack Larsen, by putting him down to downright attacking him, and he beats on Jane because he shows her affection.  He is a hateful, cruel being.  I am glad Larsen got away with it even though it will take time to get over it.  I will give this film a 7/10.