Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Horror in Paradise; 'Norway's Massacre'


The Breivik killing spree is one of those moments in life where reality resembles a horror movie. 'This World - Norway's Massacre' (BBC2) was a sombre, reflective look at one of the biggest non-war time spree-killings in Modern Europe. Narrated with care and compassion, the documentary interviewed parents and friends of many of the victims; it is still hard to believe that such murderous actions took place. At time of writing, Breivik's trial is underway; the only question to be determined is if he was really insane or not. The horrifically meticulous planning for his 'operations' would suggest that he knew only too well what he was doing; this whole process is a huge test for the decency of Norwegian society as they seek to combat 'hate with love'.  Special legislation will probably have to be enacted to keep Breivik off the streets; his likely sentence of 21 years would see him released as a middle-aged man. Norway is a small society and was deeply traumatised last year. 'Norway's Massacre' talked to the Police and Emergency Response teams; blame can not be put on them for any delay in reacting even though they have apologised already. This was essential viewing and reminded the viewer that sometimes, documentaries do not have a happy ending and we're left with more questions than answers; this is one of those instances.

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