Ondine Discussion Questions

What does this movie say about luck?

What makes this movie specifically Irish?

What themes in the movie strike you as being universal? What themes come off as being particularly Irish?

Why is the name “Ondine” so significant to the title and plot?

How did the writer of Ondine choose to provide background on the myth of the Selkie? Was it effective?

What makes the legend of the Selkie so mysterious and fascinating?

How does this movie compare to other movies describing Selkie mythology?

Does the resolution Ondine surprise, inspire, and/or unnerve you? Why?

What is the significance of Syracuse’s occupation in the movie?

What other common legends does this story remind you of?

How do the characters in the movie play off one another? Are there any you feel are more dynamic than others?


What does the movie say about redemption and how is it exemplified?

Themes in Ondine

Ondine contains a multitude of themes and ideas. Many of the themes found in the film are inherently Irish but others go beyond any regional bounds and deal with universal parts of the human experience. Syracuse, the movie’s main character, is a fisherman and that occupation has long been associated with superstition. He has a lucky fishing haul with Ondine after she sings for him and he automatically assumes she has some kind of special power. As far back as seafaring goes, superstition is tied into many parts of the sea and, in turn, fishing. The Irish as a people also are known to be more prone to believing superstitions. Irish mythology and folklore are a strong tradition for the people of the Emerald Isle and there are cases of people believing in certain folkways up to modern times. Even though Ireland is a nation wrapped in Christianity, the old folktales and myths survive and even blend with modern religion in the everyday lives of Irish men and women. Syracuse seemingly considers his daughter’s Selkie theory, trying to find books about the Selkie myth in the library when Annie has already checked them out.


Luck, both good and bad, is dealt with extensively in the film. Like any fisherman, he tells Ondine it is bad luck to have a woman on a boat when she asks to come fishing with him. Luck seems to be responsible for causing Syracuse to drag up Ondine in his net in the first place and when Ondine sings, “causing” Syracuse to catch more than his normal amount he becomes convinced she brings him good luck.


There are two very distinctly Irish themes that run throughout this movie. One is that a person has come to Ireland instead of a character leaving Ireland. Most Irish literature and films of the past have dealt with the emigration of people from Ireland, usually either to England or to the United States. Here, as is the case with much contemporary Irish texts, we see immigration emerge as a theme. The reasons for leaving could be many but it usually revolves around work and escaping the stagnation that seems to persist in Ireland. In this film, however, Ondine arrives in Ireland and the focus is very much on getting her to stay rather than main characters leaving. The other Irish theme deals with the above-mentioned stagnancy that seems to pervade most Irish literature. Irish characters always seem to feel stuck or trapped in Ireland and nothing around them seems to change. The monotony and dullness causes a boredom that characters in Irish literature and film always have to face. In this movie, Ondine is thrown into this unchanging Irish life but brings with her new talents that spice up the scene and add an excitement to the other character’s lives. She can swim expertly, speak a foreign language, and above all sing so beautifully that it is almost a supernatural element in the movie.


In addition to the inherently Irish ones, Ondine has two universal themes that carry a powerful message. The character of Ondine herself is tossed into a whole new world, one in which she is not known and is foreign to her. This allows her the chance to reinvent herself and begin to build a life in which she is happy and enjoys. Many people would love an opportunity to do this themselves, and while one may never be fished up in a net off the shores of a foreign country, things like going to a new school, moving away to college, or even just living in a new neighborhood offer experiences similar to this theme. The character of Syracuse best represents perhaps the most important theme of the movie: redemption. As a recovering alcoholic with a broken marriage and a sick daughter, Syracuse is struggling to keep things together when he meets Ondine. Ondine herself gets a chance at redemption when she chooses to stay with her new Irish family after the drama of the film’s climax (which is arguably caused by her presence). Syracuse is called Circus by almost everyone in town, including the priest whom he goes to for guidance and support, because of his past antics as an alcoholic. The movie’s plotline causes him once again to turn to alcohol and his actions during his drunkenness cause stress and pain to many characters. By the end of the film, even though he relapsed and acted rashly, his protection of what he cares about most lead him to a peaceful redemption, rewarding him with a loving and happy family. Like many folktales the movie ends in a “happily ever after” fashion. Audiences should leave this movie with a heightened sense of hope, knowing that the unlikely is not impossible.

Background of Myth in Ondine

 In the movie Ondine, two myths Ondine draws upon are the myth of the water nymph Ondine and the Selkies. The name Ondine is French and means "wave" or "water spirit." Ondine was also a water nymph in German mythology. This myth originated in the Orkney Islands. When Syracuse, a fisherman first catches Ondine, this is what she says her name is. Rumors soon pass through Syracuse’s little village that Ondine is his "water baby." Syracuse then begins to tell his daughter, Annie, stories of a man who one day while fishing, catches a Selkie. Selkies are mythological creatures that are found in Irish as well as Scottish, Faroese and Icelandic folklores. They are seals and are able to become human by shedding their seal skin and returning back to seals by putting their seal coat back on and soon returning to sea. Annie discovers that if a Selkie falls in love with a "landsman," they can stay on dry land for seven years because they have seven years that may be shed. She also found out that if Selkies buries their seal coat and forgets where it is placed, they can remain human forever.

          Syracuse is a recently divorced man and a recovering alcoholic and his daughter Annie is in a wheel-chair due to kidney failure. This family does not always have the best luck, until Ondine comes along, which is why they both start to believe she is a Selkie, since those creatures are thought to bring luck upon others. The luck starts when Syracuse and Ondine are on his fishing boat, and as Ondine begins to sing, Syracuse notices that he has caught more fish than he usually does. A quote from the movie is from Annie and she says, "They don’t talk, they sing", referring to the Selkies. Although this is lucky, he feels at this moment that the better luck is that he is falling in love with Ondine.

         When Ondine is teaching Annie how to swim one day, Ondine finds a mysterious bundle under the water. Annie has read about this and she believes this bundle is Ondine’s missing "seal coat". Since Ondine does not confirm or deny Annie’s assumption about the seal coat, this is the last proof Annie needs to believe this is Ondine’s Selkie husband, from whom she has run away. Since Annie believes this is Ondine’s "seal coat", they agree to bury it near a green house so Ondine can live on land for seven more years. Later when a mysterious man comes to their town, Ondine is scared of him and tries her best to avoid him. Annie believes this is Ondine’s Selkie husband, whom she has run away from. This family gets the best luck when Annie who has kidney failure and is in a wheelchair, miraculously is able to walk unassisted. After all these amazing miracles and good luck that seems to be happening to this family, I would also believe and hope that Ondine is a Selkie too, especially if I grew up in Ireland and heard about all the Selkie myths and stories that are told all over the country.

        
         There is much Irish folklore about myths of Selkies and Mermaids and each fairytale is told differently. Some people believe that this legend comes from the numerous seals inhibiting the Irish coast and believe Selkies are brown seals by day and human by night. Sailors or fishermen who catch a Selkie at night in human form would marry and for the rest of the Selkie’s life they would serve as patient wives. This would be an example of what is told in the movie The Secret of Roan Inish when a Selkie marries a landsman and bears him children.

         In the Faroe Islands, there can also be male Selkies, they are handsome and have great power when in their human form. If a woman wants to make contact with a Selkie man, she has to shed seven tears into the sea. This is similar to the seven years of human life, women Selkies can have as believed in the Irish myths. If a man steals a female Selkie’s skin, she is in his power and is forced to become his wife. This is similar to the movie Ondine when the mysterious men comes and wants what Annie believes is Ondine's seal skin. Annie does not want this to happen because she does not want Ondine to leave her and her father.

As I described, there are a number of versions of Selkie myths told all over Europe. This version is endearing, practical, and actually quite skocking.

My thoughts on Ondine:

At first I was kind of skeptical about Ondine, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. The way the movie is set out, really caught my attention and I struggled to understand who the women who was captured in Syracuse net was. Throughout the movie, Irish culture and the mythology of water nymph’s are uncovered and it begins to make one wonder if these theories could actually explanation where Ondine came from. Later on in the movie, unexpected events take place, and end up causing trouble between Syracuse and Ondine’s relationship; it seems all hope is gone for them. I’ll leave the ending for you to watch and find out J . I actually really liked this movie and I would recommend it for many of my friends to watch. It’s very intriguing, and while some things might not be suitable for younger children, it’s perfectly made for an adult audience. This film made me want to explore the indie film industry that we aren’t so familiar with. Colin Farrell really did a fantastic job in the movie as far as acting is concerned. His reactions to all the various Selkie discoveries seemed authentic. The young actress Ondine is, in a word, gorgeous. Her acting and flirtatious nature throughout the story really keeps the audience engaged and captivated. In addition, all of the scenes with Syracuse’s daughter are really cute and make me think of how children form relationships with those they look up to.  I hope this helps to finalize your decision on what you’ll be heading out to watch at the Irish film festival and I hope you enjoy this film as much as I did.
                                                                                                            ~Bessie Ayala