Was Fire Saga really ‘fire’? Some thoughts on Netflix’s Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

So first let’s acknowledge that this movie was conceived by someone who has actually been following the contest for years, and therefore is at least a bit more familiar with the show than most Americans are. In fact, Will Ferrell was even present at the 2018 contest in Lisbon as a member of the Swedish delegation, granting him access to spaces that even the most dedicated fans can only dream of being in. This has allowed him to learn the inner workings of the contest, which is certainly very helpful in creating a generally fair portrayal of  an artist’s journey as they make it to Eurovision.

As a result, he is able to include this entire process in the movie. Indeed, we get to see Fire Saga’s journey from being one of many submissions to Söngvakeppnin, to qualifying to the Eurovision grand final. We even get to see events that most casual viewers of the contest don’t otherwise hear about, such as rehearsals and the parties that take place in the weeks leading up to the contest.

Though, attempting to condense the entire journey to make it fit into 183 minutes results in the process looking rather rushed. For example, there is only 5 minutes’ worth of scenes between Fire Saga’s performance in Söngvakeppnin and their arrival in Edinburgh, the host city of the contest in this movie. While the movie does a decent job at explaining the whole journey, it might flow better and be easier for the viewer to follow if, in the future, an entrant’s ESC experience could be portrayed in a TV show with a few episodes for different stages of the journey.

At the same time, let’s also acknowledge that this person is very well known for his characteristically comedic style. If you’ve seen any other Will Ferrell movie, you probably have a decent idea of the kind of slapstick humour he goes on to present in this one. And indeed, such features are very present here. Although I’m not one to easily laugh at these scenes, I can’t deny that these gags are entertaining and help the movie become lightheartedly enjoyable.

Take, for example, the initial reactions of Lars and Sigrit upon witnessing the disaster that eliminates the rest of their Söngvakeppnin competition, including the national final winner Katiana. Although their displayed range of emotions were rather simplified in my opinion (surely one doesn’t… just react that way when witnessing dismembered body parts?) or even insensitive (in a way that reflects upon the characters’ personalities rather than the scriptwriting), it seemed clear to me that that was intended to show that the incident, no matter how grim, was not meant to be entirely tragic for the band.

There is also the malfunctions that Fire Saga repeatedly experience whenever they perform Double Trouble, which remind us not to take things too seriously. Or the running gags involving Neils Brongus (that Husavik local who insists the band play Ja Ja Ding Dong) and the American tourists in Edinburgh.

This comedy-packed portrayal of the main characters’ Eurovision journey therefore is seen by some to clash with the desires of many fans who seek to improve the public view of the contest and move past its reputation as a laughable show. Though, it seems rather inevitable that a movie written and starred by Will Ferrell will be rife with humour.

Furthermore, although there is plenty of room to portray Eurovision as the glorious event we have all come to know and love, that is not to say that the film depiction was not done respectfully, or as a complete mockery. The competing songs can be camp at times but they won’t seem out of place at the actual contest, and they don’t seem out of place at all in this movie (rather I could argue that trying to authentically portray the kind of songs we typically hear at Eurovision may end up distracting us from the rest of the movie).

Of course, there are plenty of inaccuracies throughout the movie. Points are announced during the semifinals, a revamp of the song is in the works in between rehearsals, and in fact it seems like there are no dress rehearsals at all for Lars and Sigrit to perform at. I could add a few more: the Icelandic delegation seem unfamiliar with their own song, and the keyboard that Lars played during their grand final performance was connected and working (live music has been banned at Eurovision since 2004). It is also peculiar to me that the new song, Husavik, immediately gets a fresh set of staging from the technical production staff and even confetti.

However, I do acknowledge that a lot of these inaccuracies are necessary in order to advance the plot. Given that we don’t get to find out who wins the contest, it is my understanding that the movie’s producers wanted viewers to catch a glimpse of how voting works at Eurovision and so they included that aspect during the semifinals. Organizers wouldn’t just stop the music like they did during the grand final, but it was necessary for the flow of the movie’s climax.

At the same time, there are some parts that stay true to reality: Stefan, the little boy who plays the drums for the band, doesn’t go with Lars and Sigrit to Edinburgh (although it isn’t mentioned in the movie that performers need to be 16 or older), Sigrit can be seen wearing earpieces during her performance, and on a lesser note, the photo of ABBA from the poster at the beginning of the movie was taken from Melodifestivalen 1974. Iceland is even the last qualifier to be announced, which is something that has happened several times in the past couple of years.

There are even aspects that reflect conversations that take place in real life surrounding the contest — the economics of hosting such a big event is definitely an issue, and although a Eurovision entry has never been disqualified on the night of the contest, there are people who question whether it is even theoretically possible these days when weeks and weeks of neverending rehearsals are held to make sure everything goes as planned.

Additionally, there are things I’m curious about. If young Lars and Sigrit danced along to ABBA, could they have also danced along to the upbeat Spanish and Greek entries that performed earlier that night? Why does there seem to be little faith in the UK entry if the contest is held in the UK (implying that they won the year before)? Given that NF season for the fans consists of weeks and weeks of Top 43s and betting odds, how would the Euro-bubble react to a sudden change of song? Is Alexander Lemtov a returning entrant? What was the in-universe role of the actual ESC entrants in the movie, were they past winners or were they fellow competitors? Why does one of the hosts appear to be Eastern European if the contest is in Edinburgh? Most importantly, who wins the contest?

Overall, the movie is enjoyable. I feel like it is something that Eurovision fans, both casual and hardcore, would come back to watch periodically or perhaps even enjoy casually, but not to the point where people develop an attachment to the movie or where it becomes a notable aspect of the fandom. Given my experience watching the movie, I find that it is much more enjoyable when you realise that this movie is really a story about Lars and Sigrit in the context of the Eurovision Song Contest, rather than a story of the contest itself. I feel like adjusting your expectations with that in mind will improve your perspectives on the movie.

Have you watched the movie? What are your thoughts on it? Let us know in the comments!