As it is in Heaven Critique - Essay Example

As it is in Heaven by Kay Pollak As it is in Heaven is a film that covers about the difference between urban and rural life. Through Daniel Dareus who is the leading character, readers get to know the social challenges that a person is likely to undergo in his life especially when things go out of hand. However, this film has a social teaching that no matter the circumstance a person is facing, things may turn out to be well again. The director of this film, Kay Pollak, shows how social problems can lead to changes in human life and how this can affect someone’s planning. Daniel’s Life at the Urban Area While at the city in Sweden, Daniel’s life is one of fame where he meets people of high profile from one region to the other. While at the city, Daniel acts as a choir conductor and this earns him so much fame due to his proficiency in teaching choir members how to alternate their voices and how to sing in harmony. While teaching the choir in the city, Daniel urges the members to work as a team and not as competing parties. In the city, Daniel plans his undertakings with so much ease because he performs what he feels like. During this time, Daniel has enough money that enables him to conduct his planning activities effectively. While at the city, Daniel is jovial and freely interacts with people who surrounds him and this gives him the morale to plan for more activities and to visit more churches and institutions to aid various choir groups in coming up with good and appealing music (Brussat 2009). His ties with the high and mighty at the urban center makes Daniel a center of attraction especially from women who find him to be loving and easy to work with. Many city dwellers in Sweden envy how Daniels plans his activities in a simultaneous way and this acts as an inspiration to many people. Daniel’s Life at the Rural Area During his conducting activities, Daniel encounters a heart attack that drastically alters his plans and activities. Being unable to plan his activities effectively, Daniel retires to his rural home in Norrland in Northern Sweden where he settles at their home that his mother leaves him before her death when Daniel was of tender age. It is at their rural home that Daniel’s plans undergo great alterations. First, the protagonist does not want to associate with others and he locks up himself in the house the whole day. This inconveniences his activities so much given that he is of ill health and unable to socialize with the people he is fond of. The arrival of this character to their hometown evokes so much suspicion, interest and curiosity from the residents of Norrland. However, Daniel’s planning activities changes when a small church choir approach him to offer guidance in the practices that this group conducts every Thursdays in the diocese’s hall. The approach by the choir group changes Daniel’s plans of the day. Instead of spending his mornings pondering about his predicaments and planning on how to take lonely walks in the evenings, Daniel’s planning strategy changes because he now plans on how to prepare himself in the mornings and also plans on how to offer guidance at the choir’s practices every Thursdays. The church’s choir proposal to Daniel also changes his planning because he now has to spare some time to sharpen his music skills using a violin that he owns. The director of this film in this case uses music as a unification factor because many film makers since the 70s consider the incorporation of music in a storyline to be very effective in capturing the viewers’ attention (Sassen, 207). The planning of the church’s choir as whole also changes after Daniel’s intervention. Individual members of the choir change their attitude towards life due to Daniel’s inspiring teachings. Some ladies at the choir also alter how they plan their days so that they can spare some time to linger around Daniel. For example, Gabriella who sings at the choir develops interest in Daniel and before she lives her house every morning, she plans how to be presentable before him to attract his attention. Inger whose husband does not spare even a little time for her, finds interest in the choir master and this makes her change how she plans her daily activities. Instead of coming to the choir practices late as she does every Thursday, she now arrives early enough in tight mini-skirts to catch Daniel’s attention. Other choir members who also change how they plan their activities are Erik and Tore. These two men face ridicule from other people due the health challenges that they have. Erik suffers from obesity and this forms the center stage of ridicule from other people. Tore on the other hand, is mentally ill and sometimes behaves like a mad man and this makes not only the choir members to avoid him but also some members of the society. Through Daniel’s inspirational teachings to them, Erik and Tore rekindle their hopes in life and change how they plan their daily activities. Instead of staying indoors during the morning hours without anything to keep them busy, the two after Daniel’s inspiration plan how to improve their music skills and how to meet friends and even plan on what topics to discuss with their friends, One day before Tore leaves his house, he says quietly to himself, “I must ask Erik to teach me the lines to the song Daniel introduced yesterday” (Pollak 2004). As time progresses, Daniel’s planning activities immensely change. Every morning, he reports to his parish office after he becomes head of the liturgical services. It is while offering services at the church that Daniel meets Lena and they establish a love relationship. The planning strategy of the two characters change henceforth because Daniel has to plan himself every morning on how to address Lena when they meet at the church’s square (Brussat 2009). Leah too, changes her planning because instead of going home immediately after the choir practices, she stays behind for few hours to talk with Daniel. Lena’s planning changes especially when she marries Daniel and has to help him regain hope in life. As Daniel’s wife, Lena wakes up every morning to prepare breakfast for Daniel before he leaves for work. Lena too, has to plan on how to carry out her domestic chores before she spares some time to practice her church songs. In Kay Pollak’s film, viewers become aware that it is possible to regain hope in life even when things appear to be out of control. Through Daniel who plans his life afresh when he moves to the countryside, viewers also learn that it is possible to succeed in every situation no matter the setting. Other characters also change how they plan their daily activities in the movie especially after Daniel’s involvement as the church’s choir master and cantor. Some of these people who change their daily planning include Lena, Gabriella, Inger, Erik and Tore who are all choir members at the church. Works Cited Brussat, Mary. Film Review: As it is Heaven. (2009). Web. 24th, November 2014. Pollak, Kay. As it is Heaven, USA, Lorber Films. 2004. Film. Sassen, Saskia. The Global City and Cities Globalization, Chapter Nine. New York: Routledge Publishers. 2005. Print. Read More