Filmen er forvirrende i starten.

The film is confusing at the beginning.

Breakdown of Filmen er forvirrende i starten.

• være: to be
• i: in
• filmen: the film
• starten: the start
• forvirrende: confusing

Questions & Answers about Filmen er forvirrende i starten.

Why is it Filmen and not just Film at the beginning?

Filmen is the definite singular form of film (film/movie).
Norwegian usually shows definiteness by adding a suffix:

• en film = a film (indefinite)
• filmen = the film (definite)

In this sentence, you’re talking about a specific movie, so you use the definite form Filmen rather than the bare noun Film.

What gender is film, and how does that affect the ending in Filmen?

Film is a masculine noun in Norwegian.
Masculine nouns typically take -en as their definite singular ending:

• en film → filmen
• en stol (a chair) → stolen (the chair)

That’s why we say Filmen er … and not Film et or Film a or anything else.

What is er doing here, and does it always mean “is”?

Er is the present tense of the verb å være (to be).
In this sentence it’s a simple linking verb:

• Filmen (subject)
• er (is)
• forvirrende i starten (what it’s like / its state)

Yes, er corresponds to “is” or “are” in English, depending on the subject:

• Filmen er … = The film is …
• Filmene er … = The films are …

What exactly is forvirrende, and how is it formed?

Forvirrende is an adjective meaning confusing.
It’s formed from the verb å forvirre (to confuse) + the ending -ende, which works like English -ing in this kind of use:

• å forvirre → forvirrende (confusing)
• å interessere → interessant or interesserende (interesting – though interessant is more common)

So Filmen er forvirrende literally = The film is confusing.

What’s the difference between forvirrende and forvirret?

• Forvirrende = confusing (something that causes confusion)

  • Filmen er forvirrende. = The movie is confusing.

• Forvirret = confused (someone who feels confused)

  • Jeg er forvirret. = I am confused.

So you don’t say Filmen er forvirret; only people (or sometimes characters) are forvirret, while the film itself is forvirrende.

Why is it i starten and not på starten or something else?

With time expressions like starten (the start/beginning), Norwegian normally uses the preposition i (in/at):

• i starten = at the beginning
• i begynnelsen = in the beginning/at first

Using på here (på starten) would sound unnatural in standard Norwegian.
So i starten is the idiomatic way to say “at the start” in this context.

Why is it starten (definite) and not just start?

Starten is the definite singular of start (start/beginning):

• en start = a start
• starten = the start

In English you also say “at the beginning”, not “at beginning”.
Norwegian behaves similarly here: i starten = “at the start / at the beginning”, referring to the specific beginning of this film.

Is there any difference between i starten and i begynnelsen?

They’re very close in meaning and often interchangeable:

• i starten – slightly more informal/colloquial, very common in everyday speech.
• i begynnelsen – a bit more neutral or formal; also common.

Both can mean “at the beginning / in the beginning / at first” in a sentence like this:

• Filmen er forvirrende i starten.
• Filmen er forvirrende i begynnelsen.

Both are fine.

Can I move i starten to the front: I starten er filmen forvirrende?

Yes. Norwegian word order allows you to move a time expression to the front for emphasis or style:

• Filmen er forvirrende i starten. (neutral)
• I starten er filmen forvirrende. (slight emphasis on i starten)

Both are grammatically correct and natural.
The core rule is that the verb (er) must stay in the second position in the main clause, which it does in both versions.

Could I leave out i starten and just say Filmen er forvirrende?

Yes. Filmen er forvirrende. is a complete and correct sentence.

• Filmen er forvirrende. = The film is confusing (in general).
• Filmen er forvirrende i starten. = The film is confusing at the beginning (implying it may become clearer later).

Adding i starten specifies when it is confusing.