O'Horten (2007) - full transcript

A picaresque tale. Odd Horton is dependable and contained: he's a train engineer retiring after 40 years of service, living a simple life. His idea of adventure is to fly from one city in Norway to another. Starting on the night of his retirement dinner, Odd has a series of dislocating experiences: a boy insists that Odd sit by his bedside while he falls asleep; misadventure causes Odd to miss his last run; he witnesses an arrest; he assists an old man and makes a friend; he takes a trip with a blindfolded driver; he adopts a dog; he takes stock late one night at the roundhouse; he revisits his mother's disappointment in him. How should he live the rest of his life?

I hope we can avoid moose
on the tracks tonight.

I still have blood on my jacket.

It won't wash off.

And we don't get paid
extra for it, either.

I was supposed to have
this weekend off.

But said yes to an extra shift.

I would have preferred to sleep in.

Gone out on the town.

Met some girls...

I'm always up early anyway.

I'm sure not.



What's the retirement age again?
65 or 66?

67.

Then you bear your age well.

I heard rumors
that you're going to be honored.

That's not really your style, is it?
Being honored, I mean?

Next winter I'm heading to Thailand.
No matter what.

-I didn't hear you come.
-Well, here I am.

-Welcome, Odd.
-Good evening, Svea.

Here you go.

Go in and have a seat.
I'll be right in with your dinner.

All right.

I hope it's still good.
It hasn't been ready long.

Thank you, it's always good.

Homemade.



Well...

-So this weekend it's all over?
-Yes. It's all over.

After all these years.

-What am I to do?
-I could come visit you.

-I'm sure you won't.
-Oh Svea...

-Can you keep a secret?
-No. You know I can't!

-Tell me.
-After my last trip on Saturday...

I plan to fly back to Oslo.

-Fly?!
-Fly.

Odd...

Eat your food before it gets cold.

Winds will be heavy on the
west coast, near gale in places...

Dear Odd, dear colleagues...

We all know
Odd does not enjoy the limelight.

But you aren't
getting off scot-free, Odd!

As one of the most experienced
and reliable engineers we have had, -

- it gives me great pleasure, on
behalf of the Engineer Association, -

- to present you with
the Silver Locomotive!

For almost 40 years of service.

We wish you all the best
in your well-deserved retirement.

-Congratulations, Odd.
-Thank you.

Ready?

One, two, three!

That could be a 73082 Camelot.

Well done!

The train from Trondheim to Bod?
is arriving on track 1.

That's the Nordland Line!

But the question is: When was
the Nordland Line completed, -

- and how many bridges are there
between Trondheim and Bod??

It opened on...February 1, 1962.

And there are 361 bridges.

-362.
-Aren't there 361?

362.

-I was sure there were 361.
-No, there are 362.

-362. Shall we continue?
-Go ahead.

The airport express train?
BM71?

-The Oslo streetcar.
-Smart alec!

-You never take part in anything.
-Come on!

I'm making my last run
over to Bergen tomorrow.

Stinesen is coming,
and he has a run to Dovre tomorrow.

-Come on, Odd!
-Have you ordered a maxi taxi?

-Let's take the streetcar!
-Come on.

1789.

-Where do we go?
-It's the top floor, right?

-I forgot my tobacco.
-There's a store around the corner.

The entrance code is 1789.
Push hard. It's defective.

-1 789.
-Top floor. "R?hmer" on the door.

I'll take this for you.

Hello.

Hi.

-Hi.
-Wanna look at my car?

-What's your name?
-Nordahl.

Nordahl.
That's a nice name.

I was on my way up
to your neighbor upstairs.

R?hmer.
But the door downstairs doesn't work.

-He drives trains.
-Yes. He's an engineer.

-So am I.
-Really?

-What's your name?
-My name is Odd.

-Can you sit here till I fall asleep?
-I'd sure like to.

But they're waiting for me
up at R?hmer's.

Some other time.
Thank you for showing me your car.

-Good night, Odd.
-Good night, Nordahl.

We can't find Horten.
I'll have to drive.

There he is!
Horten!

Wait!

May I please speak to someone
in Vera Horten's ward?

This is Odd Horten.
How is Vera today?

Has she eaten well?

That's good.

I'll come by and visit tomorrow.

Thank you.

Mother, it's me.

It's me.

Odd.

You look good, mother.

I brought you some grapes.

I've driven my last train.
I'm retired now.

They said you had eaten
so well yesterday.

I brought you some flowers.

Tulips.

You like tulips.

Aren't they pretty?

Have you been out
ski jumping again, Vera?

-Another export beer, Horten.
-Thank you.

-You're coming with us!
-Take it easy!

Cuff him!

-Calm down, calm down!
-I can walk myself!

Calm down!

It should be unnecessary to say
I won't take any more food orders.

May I speak to Flo?

Horten.

No, I'm not calling from Horten.
That's my name. Odd Horten.

Flo.
F-L-O.

Yes.
Thank you.

It's Odd Horten.
Hi there.

Listen, I've decided to sell my boat.

Yes.

No, I wouldn't joke about that.

Right now.

Can't we just meet by the boat?

Why all the way up there?

But how will I find you?

Step back here, please.

Take off your shoes
and put them on the belt.

-Excuse me. Is Flo here?
-No, they are done.

-Have you seen Flo?
-He was called out to gate 22.

-Could you bring this guy back?
-Sure.

You can continue
through the scanner now.

-Is Flo here?
-Flo?

-Do you know anyone called Flo?
-Flo? No.

There's no Flo here.

I don't believe it!

There's a man smoking a pipe
on the middle of the taxiway.

This way please.

But I haven't been out flying.
I'm just looking for someone.

-So you haven't been out flying?
-No.

-Than why did our dog react to you?
-I don't know.

Horten!

I was convinced
you had changed your mind again.

You're aware
there's no train to Horten, right?

Come on, we've almost got it!

Try one more time.
We almost had it there.

-Hull?
-Pine over oak.

-Is the deck oak?
-No. Oregon pine.

-How do you spell that?
-P-I-N-E. Oregon Pine.

-Gunwale?
-Mahogany.

Mahogany?

Damn...

-And it's riveted?
-Yes.

Length and beam?

The length is 22 feet.

The beam is 2.10 meters.

-And the rudder?
-Transom-mounted.

I saw the windscreen.

-Is the top included?
-Yes, it is included.

So you're finally selling Vera .

-Are you sure?
-Yes...

I've tried to get you
to sell her for years.

-Suddenly now you're ready?
-I said yes.

You realize what you're doing?
I won't sell her back.

-Once you've signed, you've signed.
-Yes.

-Engine?
-FM S-2.

I have to go to the bathroom.

-Is the propeller variable-pitch?
-Sure.

Odd?

Horten?

Horten!

-May I help you?
-No, thank you. I'm just looking.

Did you forget something, Opsahl?

Didn't I just buy
some matches from you?

Yes, you did.

I can't,
for the life of me, find them.

Let me give you a new box.

-Here you go.
-Thank you.

Goodbye.

Let me know if I can help you.

Well... I was hoping
to speak to Mr. Th?gersen.

-I'm afraid he's no longer here.
-Not out back either?

No, he's not.

-But...he's always here.
-That's how I felt too.

But he's gone now.
It happened just last week.

We had been married
for almost 50 years.

Death is also a part of life.

I'll try to run the store
for the rest of the year.

-I can't let just anyone take over.
-No, don't do that.

-Aren't you Horten?
-Yes. I'm Odd Horten.

Leif talked about you.
You were one of his oldest customers.

-Didn't you used to swim together?
-Yes.

-So how can I help you?
-I'm in the market for a new pipe.

-The old one is used up?
-Yes, in a sense.

Do you still prefer Leif's old brand?
The Lillehammer GL?

I've had many favorites,
but always come back to that one.

I always come back to
the Lillehammer GL.

How can I help you now, Opsahl?

Matches?

I smell a pipe smoker nearby.

-They aren't mine.
-You don't say?

-Do you live far from here?
-Holmenkollen.

-Want me to get you a taxi?
-Yes, please.

-Trygve Sissener.
-Odd Horten.

-Help yourself, please.
-Thank you.

Hi, Molly!
I'm home again.

Come on!

No thanks.

-How about a whisky?
-Yes please.

-Ice cubes?
-No.

Me neither.

I've worked most of my adult life
as a diplomat.

In Africa and Indochina.

That's where I developed
my taste for primitive weapons.

Weapons are always primitive,
after all.

-Just like human beings.
-Yes.

-So what do you do?
-I'm a locomotive engineer.

Really? Maybe you could
give me a ride sometime.

-I've always dreamt of that.
-Passengers aren't allowed up front.

But we do make exceptions.

Then it's a deal!

Let me take a quick shower,
to warm up.

Help yourself, Horten.

Can you believe
that Nissan is Japanese?

It doesn't exactly sound Japanese.

Exactly!
Maybe if it were Swedish...

-I myself have an old toad.
-A toad?

A Citro?n DS. Inherited it
from my younger brother, Steiner.

Steiner was an inventor,
but he died far too soon.

He invented a sewing machine
for use on people.

But of course no one was interested
in buying his patent.

He had his own way
of doing everything.

Ever since he was a child,
he was different.

That's why he started getting
in trouble, already as a teen.

Steiner.

Always impeccably dressed.
First-class suits. White shirts.

But with the same old tie
that hadn't been tied -

- since it was machine-tied
in London in the '50s.

He became extremely sensitive
toward the end.

For example, if he was wearing
wool, he refused to eat mutton.

Eventually
he was diagnosed as a schizophrenic.

I consider that
a tragic misdiagnosis.

He was simply extremely shy.

-Do you know what this is?
-A rock?

Not just any rock.
This is from a meteorite.

It began its journey
4.7 billion years ago.

Before the Earth was created.

As it traveled,
our solar system came to be.

So it is older than the sun
that illuminated it -

- as it hit the Earth.

And after 4.7 billion years
its journey ended in your bar?

That's where people are mistaken.
Its journey has not ended here.

-How do you like my collection?
-Lovely.

But do they ski jump in Africa?

Those are Norwegian.
They are my father's old skis.

My mother was a ski jumper.

She wanted to jump in Holmenkollen,
but girls weren't allowed.

What kind of a society will we have,
if our girls aren't allowed to jump?

Her father didn't want her to jump
either. Jumping was for boys.

Were you a ski jumper?

No.

I didn't dare.

That disappointed her.
I know that.

-Did your father jump?
-In a sense. He just disappeared.

I can hardly remember him.

All my friends jumped, but not me.

And now it's too late.

It seems most everything comes
too late in life, doesn't it?

Therefore nothing comes too late!

For a long time
I've had this, call it "ability," -

- that I've kept secret, particularly
due to my diplomatic career.

As a young man I noticed I could see
quite well with my eyes closed.

I could walk long distances
without crashing into anything.

Once I got my driver's license, I
started driving with my eyes closed.

First over short distances,
then longer and longer.

And finally the entire way,
from one place to another.

Perfectly.

From that day on, I was sold.

I have driven blind in every city
where I have been stationed.

It's been years now,
but I think about it all the time.

And I am convinced
I still have the ability.

How would you like to go
for a drive through Oslo?

-I don't know...
-I haven't had a single accident yet.

-I don't know...
-Life's too short to wait.

We can do it at the crack of dawn
tomorrow, before there is traffic.

Yes? Excellent!
We have a deal.

Let's get some rest
before heading down the hill.

Good night, Horten!

Freshly-brewed coffee
and boots are served.

-Milk or cream?
-Black, thanks.

I can imagine you engineers
primarily drink black coffee.

Alcohol keeps me sober.

Today is a beautiful day
for driving blind, Horten!

Come on, girl!

It might be OK to see a little bit
to begin with.

Smell that! The smell of wiper fluid
has always turned me on.

"With sails hauled close, -

- steer for the open sea."

"And for the far-off goal
your soul desires!"

"Ere long you must fall off
like all the rest."

"Although a star
your guiding landmark be."

"For in due time
the stars themselves must fall!"

Strindberg.
Master Olof.

Everyone ready?

Yes.

Sissener?

Mr. Sissener?

Dr. Sissener?

Come on, Molly.

Valkyrien Restaurant.

One moment.

I'm sorry.
He left about a half-hour ago.

Yes, a little less than a half-hour.
No problem.

-What's it cost to send a letter?
-Where to?

-Domestic.
-It depends how much it weighs.

Christ, that too...

-Hope you aren't driving tonight.
-No.

We're expecting
freezing rain any minute.

It will be practically impossible
to stand upright.

I see.

Thank you.

We're expecting visitors.
My wife is waiting for this salmon.

I see.

-Do you like Sandefjord Butter?
-No.

Me neither.

May I help you?

I was just wondering
who was driving Sissener's car.

So you knew Trygve.

-Steiner Sissener.
-Odd Horten.

Steiner?

-Sissener's brother?
-Yes. That's me.

-Are you a neighbor?
-No.

We just met a couple of days ago.

-Do you know that Trygve is dead?
-Yes.

Do you have any other brothers?

No, it was just the two of us.

So you're the inventor?

No, one inventor in the family
was more than enough.

Trygve was the genius.

But unfortunately misunderstood.

I'm a diplomat. I've lived abroad
most of my working life.

-In Africa?
-Yes.

Primarily. In African countries.
And in Indochina.

At the moment
I'm stationed in Helsinki.

You haven't seen Molly, have you?
Trygve's dog?

No...

I'm sure she'll show up.
I can't take care of her anyway.

-Good night, Horten.
-Good night.

Subtitles: Nick Norris