Troll Hunter: Transnationalism through the Senses
As the proverbial debate surrounding national cinema perpetuates in the age of postmodernism, the emergence of the so-called transnational discourse of cinema has taken root among film scholars. The cinema of the Scandinavian countries retains a unique position within the national cinema debate. With a collaborative effort at the foundation of their film productions, Nordic cinemas are said to maintain a definitive sentiment of their own individual national identities, even amongst closely related or shared cultural sensibilities and linguistic construction. This brings us to one of Scandinaviaâs most recent and successful offerings; AndrĂ© Ăvredalâs commercially lucrative Trolljegeren/Troll Hunter (2010). Troll Hunter neatly epitomises the juncture where all of these debates fuse together. The film also helps to delineate the notion of transnationalism as a concept that does not always necessarily equate to physical movement across the borders of a country. Consolidating the themes, techniques, characterizations and a brief history of these seminal concepts, an attempt will be made to outline how this film negotiates these theoretical frameworks in a bid to further understand their construction and impact on cinema today.
When cinema itself is read as a social text, it can reflect on the specific period in which it was made and act as an insightful mode of national self-portraiture. It can behave as a metaphorical postcard from the past, documenting public anxiety, perpetuate stereotypes, record social change as well as attempts to subvert it. Cinema is always a product of its history, however, and an understanding of its shaping can be traced back to the fabric of the society in which it was created. The historical context of Troll Hunter in relation to its national identity forms the cornerstone of this debate. Contemporary Nordic cinema, chronicled from the 1990s onwards, offers us a shift in the dynamics of cinematic production, where the use of transnationalism as a viable term began to take root. This is partly thought to be linked with the encroaching success of Hollywood, another consequence of which was a supposed reinvigoration of national cinema. These periods of both redefinition and reinvigoration, however, raise further questions as to how Nordic national cinemas have been and continue to be defined. Perhaps, however, to speak of Nordic cinema in a national context in the current climate of global transition is out- dated?From an external perspective, particularly a Hollywood one, the Nordic nations remain nationally indistinct, especially in terms of cinematic output.
National cinemaâs ability to negotiate foreign elements into itself is maybe a key component of its resilience and innovation. These arterial modifications within national film culture are arguably strengthened by Hollywoodâs dominant market position. It is this fight against the dominant hegemonic infrastructure of Hollywood that allows European national cinemas the breeding ground to continually expand and diversify. Perhaps what has so far been said of ânational cinemaâ as we have tried to understand it is less about national cinema, but the attitude towards the idea of national cinema. Rather than having all cinema mapped against Hollywood, as has been the case in the past, perhaps the familiarity of the Hollywood model has been absorbed and internalized, casting such a wealth of influence over cinema worldwide; to have a national model completely independent of its influences is the ultimate rarity. âHollywood can hardly be conceived as other, since so much of any national film culture is implicitly âHollywoodââ (Eslaesser 1987:166). On the other hand, perhaps a national cinema is only ânationalâ when it deals with singular ânationalâ issues and the moment it seeks to engage with the global, it loses its national specificity. âNotions of the national cinema and the international are inextricably linked because they define each other.â (Willemen 2006: 29). It could be argued that, paradoxically, that national identity perpetuated though cinema has always, itself, been a product of globalization; constantly redefining itself as it fights to determine itself in the crowd.
One of the most important facets of Troll Hunter, relative to these theories, is underscored through the way in which it is filmed. The function of the found footage technique employed by Ăverdal transcends the gimmicky associations of the Hollywood genre convention. Instead, it becomes our viewfinder throughout, having Thomas, Johanna and Kalle function as our literal and figurative eyes, ears and interpreter through which the mythology of Norwegian folklore is reinvigorated for the modern age. It is introduced to the postmodern Norwegian audience, but also from our point of view throughout, as though issues of seemingly national significance are a mere drop in the ocean and that the destruction of nature and bureaucratic interference is beyond a national issue; it resonates with a global significance. It is as if the film works on several levels simultaneously, appearing to address the Norwegian consciousness through the inclusion of ânationalâ debates, but the transnational mode of production engenders the audiencesâ perspective by hijacking the sensory experience of us all.
 In anticipation of counter-arguments that challenge Troll Hunter as a transnational film, it would be important not to neglect the subtly of some of the background cultural references. What complicates the idea of Troll Hunter as a transnational film are the politicized themes reverberating in the background, themes that perhaps aim to stimulate the national consciousness as opposed to an international one. In addition, there are also particular nuances related to characterization and audience appeal. The trolls, however, form the base of Troll Hunterâs ostensible national niche. The role of the rich heritage of literature in the history of films from the Scandinavian nations is indisputable. The impenetrable and far-reaching literary works from each Nordic nation vary greatly and its influence had helped shape the cinematic adaptations when scripts have crossed boundaries to be re-drafted. Part of the transnational conversion of scripts and stories involves interpreting each narrative so that it translates appropriately in the country in question. The trolls are an obvious national marker in this instance. The film even re-enacts several archetypical scenes from Norwegian fairy tales including Three Billy Goats Gruff and the niceties of the diverse troll species, including the appearance of mountain trolls, as well as retaining sentiments such as the trollsâ abilities to detect the scent of Christian blood. This reference perhaps offers us an interesting insight into Norwayâs changing relationship with regards to religion, with only one third of the trio declaring themselves to be Christian. The replacement camera woman induces a degree of ambiguity when she declares that she is a Muslim, leaving Hans uncertain as to how the trolls would react to this.
 âNation states may not have the autonomies or efficacies they once had, but the fact   remains that many key institutional frameworks and policy directives find expression at the nation state level, even when they involve an address to transnational, international or global realities.
Other specific Norwegian cultural references include the use of Norwegian comedians like Otto Jespersen and Robert Stoltenberg, the latter playing a Polish bear poacher, a further reference to Norwayâs dependence on Polish labour, especially in relation to tackling unwanted jobs, but it also helps to diffuse the potential gravity of the scene, perpetuating and parodying stereotypes. There is also a subtle but significant microcosm of the main narrative at work. The conflict between the farmers and their limited rights to exterminate predators on their land due to the restrictions of Norwegian wildlife conservation laws mirrors that of Hans and his conflicted battles between man and beast as well as the ongoing war of attrition between people and governments. There is also the issue of the power lines running through the Norwegian countryside, a consequence of which involved the slaughter of many infant trolls at the hands of a reluctant and rueful Hans.
Aside from the obvious references to Norwegian folklore facilitated through the varying species of trolls, there are also layers of Norwegian artistic and cultural references far more subtle to an international audience. Norwegian artist Theodor Kittlesenâs painting Soria Moria Castle is referenced directly in the film when Thomas cuts an identical figure to that in the painting against the milieu of the Norwegian landscape. Kittlesen, who was primarily famed for his depiction of trolls and Norwegian fairy tales, was a key source of inspiration for the trollsâ aesthetic design. The close connections between Norwegian nature and notions of identity are certainly refreshed and elevated through the lingering shots of the Norwegian countryside. Troll Hunter has been interpreted as a metaphor for a changing Norwegian national identity in relation to certain ânationalâ subject matters. In this sense, there is perhaps an irony underscored in the sense that when a ânationalâ film seeks a global audience, they have lost a sentiment of the ânationalâ. The use of the so-called found footage convention interjects as the ultimate transnational indicator, where the perspective invites us, as the audience, to experience a more personal sensory interaction. The subject themes, while they appear national, could ultimately be valid anywhere. This is the reason why the convention is so effective; it is instantly identifiable and therefore significant on an international scale, helping to bring these themes to international attention. Norway functions as a vessel through which the consequences and collisions between man, beast, nature and globalization can be played out.
While the film explores the interplay between fantasy and reality; simultaneously it engenders numerous geopolitical and bureaucratic subject matters. While these facets appear to target the Norwegian nation, Troll Hunterâs effective blend of the internationally recognizable found footage convention behaves as our sensory introduction to such subjects, as opposed to a national one. The topics of the film illustrate the destructive power of nature but also the destructive hand wielded by man, themes that, whilst foregrounded through the backdrop of the Norwegian nation, ultimately transcend the boundaries of any one homeland. This, in itself, adopts a principal significance expressly in todayâs unfixed, globalized world.
amandla
theartofmadeline
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