From the potentially incestuous tyranny of family (The Celebration, 1998), to the castigation of man, hemmed in by the caprice of children and gossiping women (The Hunt, 2012), Thomas Vinterberg’s filmography has consistently addressed modernity’s darker side. His latest film, Another Round (2020), reaffirms meaning in a culture rich in tradition yet short on self-belief.
In the labyrinth of midlife ennui, four friends and school colleagues embark on an experiment with alcohol in order to inspire their flagging efforts at work and home. Casting familiar faces works in Vinterberg’s favour, here, as the camaraderie of the teachers is sincere and heart-felt. The mercurial Mads Mikkelsen - Martin - stands out in a strong cast.
The experiment’s fallout drives the dramatic tension of the film, but also serves as the catalyst of its philosophical animus. Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher, is its narrator: failure should neither be resented nor nurtured as a self-flagellating cycle. Instead, like the scene where the philosophy student is nervously wrestling with Kierkegaard, acceptance of failure paves the way to rebirth. To continue to love and live demands acceptance that we fail - time and again. This scene is a microcosm of the film itself. By accepting his failure in the exam as an example of what Kierkegaard meant - paradoxically - he passes.
The sentiment of redemptive rebirth is euphorically expressed in the film’s final scene. During a melee of revelry, having inspired their students to success, reality dawns on Martin and friends that this is their raison d ' etre. In a world that promises us nothing, brooks no disappointment, an educator finds his meaning in the edification of the young. If only, at least, to aid their journey into the unforgiving churn of life. Meaning is returned to the film’s universe and Mads Mikkelsen - the professionally trained dancer and actor - becomes one as ‘What a Life’ blares away, he jumps into the bosom of the sea; a step closer to an antifragility we aspire to call our own.
