Synopsis
Directed by Ingvild Søderlind, Battle: Freestyle is a Norwegian teen dance drama released in 2022. It is a direct sequel to the 2018 film, Battle. The film follows the story of Amalie, a young dancer struggling to find a balance between ambition, her true self, and her relationships. Unlike most dance films that focus on competition, Battle: Freestyle explores the complex themes of fractured family relationships and cultural exile.
The film begins with Amalie and her boyfriend, Mikael, getting ready for one of the most important events in their dance careers. They are members of a street dance crew called “Illicit” that has just qualified for an international competition in Paris. The crew is excited as they head to the French capital for a chance to strut their freestyle and hip-hop fusion.
For Amalie, Paris is not just a destination for a dance competition, it is also the home of her estranged mother, a noted ballet director whom Amalie has not seen in years. Currently, Amalie identifies as a freestyle street dancer. Still, the blend of her upbringing and the ballet world pulls her in emotional directions. Reconnecting with her mother brings her old wounds to the surface. Old and new aspirations cannot coexist.
The crew continues to bump heads. Strain caused by emotion, ego, and distraction lead to a division in the team. Amalie grapples with team obligations and her individual aspirations. Matters deepen as Amalie faces her mother, who vocally disagrees with the goals of her daughter’s life. Strangle suggestions of having untapped potential in ballet heighten Amalie’s mother’s cruelish ballet world.
Amalie’s problems do not end there, as the bond with Mikael is also eroded. The two whom once shared a bond of love and dance now grow apart due to the shift of ambition, jealousy and a personal transformation. This change rekindles Amalie’s internal struggles because it encourages her to understand what her life choices truly are — live for herself, please those around her or dance for personal joy.
As the competition nears, Amalie faces the decision of either remaining faithful to the crew and the choreography they have painstakingly developed, or fusing her freestyle passion with her classical roots to make it her own. In a moment of raw bucking vulnerability, she decides to express herself—and redefine her identity as a dancer—through a solo performance.
Ultimately, the film chooses not to dwell on whether the crew wins or loses in the competition. Instead, the film emphasizes self-acceptance and authenticity, as well as personal development and reconciliation. In the film’s resolution, Amalie reconciles with her mother, allowing her to close a chapter of her life and begin another, not merely as a dancer, but as a woman learning to navigate the intricate relationship between art and emotion.
Cast and Characters
Lisa Teige as Amalie: Teige reprises her role from the prequel film with the same sensitivity and strength. Best known for her breakout role in the Norwegian teen series Skam, she earned acclaim for bringing both grace and realism to Amalie’s journey from confusion to self-discovery.
Fabian Svegaard Tapia as Mikael: Amalie’s boyfriend and dancer Mikael is also a source of conflict and supports for her. Tapia plays the role with quiet intensity and showcases his own impressive dancing.
Amalie’s estranged mother, Vivian, is a ballet director and rigidly symbolizes the orderly and disciplined life Amalie once led. Vivian’s character is played by Ellen Dorrit Petersen, and she serves as a challenge for Amalie to make peace with her past.
Alongside Morad Aziman, Bao Andre Nguyen, and Georgia May Anta, the cast also includes Amalie’s dance crew Illicit, which is a blend of distinct and diverse energies.
Crew and Production
Director: Ingvild Søderlind seamlessly interweaves urban street culture and family drama, which brings the intensity to the film’s emotional nuance and visual rhythm.
Screenplay: Continuing the character development from the first film, the script focuses on Amalie’s growth as a character and avoids the overused dance trope.
Production: The film’s stunning aerial views of Paris and Oslo capture urban landscapes, dance studios, and gritty streets which gives life to the freestyle style’s authenticity.
Choreography: Perhaps one of the most remarkable aspects of the film is the choreography. The incorporation of multiple dance forms, including hip hop, contemporary and even ballet makes the film unique. The emotional journey of the characters is displayed through dance battles and rehearsals.
Soundtrack: The film includes a blend of upbeat electro, hip-hop, and emotional instrumentals, contributing to the film’s overall tone and dance sequences.
Themes
- Identity and Self-Expression
Battle: Freestyle is a self-definition story, and Amalie is a character stuck between two worlds. She embodies the cultivated, rigid world of ballet and the raw, free-spirited world of street dance. The struggle is not to abandon one world, but to forge a cohesive identity that incorporates elements from both worlds.
- Art vs. Approval
The film critiques the view that a piece of art must be appreciated or validated by a peer. Amalie’s mother considers ballet an apex artform, dismissing street dance as disorganized and unserious. Amalie’s development involves not only accepting, but also unshackling herself from these skewered hierarchies.
- Reconciliation and Family
Amalie’s reunion with her mother is the source of unprocessed emotion like abandonment, deep misunderstanding, and a longing for unqualified approval. These complexities show how an individual’s history, devoid of context, can both stifle and spark the evolution of art.
- Ambition Alongside Teamwork |
The patterns of behavior present in the Illicit crew reflect the conflict between team objectives and personal aspirations. In the absence of a team’s unity, Amalie, as a member of the crew, faces a critical dilemma of whether loyalty towards the team is more important than personal gratification, and whether a middle ground can be identified between the two.
Tone and Style
Battle: Freestyle adopts a forensic, raw, as well as intimate tone that features emotional elements of intensity and moments of introspection. Unlike some dance films such as Step Up and StreetDance, it settles for emotional sincerity and realism rather than flashiness.
The dance parts of the film feature kinetic, immersive cinematography, utilizing handheld and tracking shots that make the audience feel the dance, almost in the audience’s shoes. The off-stage parts of the film are more contemplative. The shots are focused more on faces, silence, and the unspoken conflicts between the characters.
The film is not heavy on spoken dialogue. It prefers silence, letting the body communicate, particularly through dance, which serves as the emotional language of the narrative.
Critical Reception
Overall, the reaction to Battle: Freestyle was somewhere between positive and mixed. The sincerity that was blended in the film’s emotions was especially appreciated, as was Lisa Teige’s remarkable performance, which vividly expressed the inner conflict of the character Amalie. Many people appreciated the variety and energy of the choreography and soundtrack.
Some reviewers argued the film still casted familiar dance genre cliches such as the emotional aspects of rivalry and competition, and a showy solo dance. Regardless, critics still praised the film for prioritizing emotional resonance over pyrotechnics, as well as for for its treatment of female agency and emotional depth in relation to spectacle.
Unlike a lot of American dance films, that place a heavy focus on romance and victory, Battle: Freestyle tells a more subdued, slower character-driven story. This was a refreshing and welcomed take on the genre as it showed more depth.
Conclusion
In expression of the complex socio-psychological dance of competitive dancing, the film deeply engages Amalie’s journey, portraying identity, artistry, love, and family through the lens of seeking a genuine sense of self in the world.
For those in search of dance dramas that go beyond trivial moves and romance, Battle: Freestyle offers a thoughtful and deeply rewarding experience. In addition to being a poignant stand-alone work that powerfully showcases movement as a story-telling medium in choreography, it visually captivates and emotionally moves, making a solid addition to the first Battle film.
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