This is a difficult film to review, because it is pretty much all of its ingredients, so the best description of it would either be fifteen pages or fifteen words.
"The grass is greener" describes the motif pretty well.
The usual description leads one to think it is totally about "Pelee", but that isn't the case. Many characters and many plots are in this film.
I watched it with some expectations. Max von Sydow is one of the most respected names in acting, and even when he appears in high action apocalyptic films, there is some bit of "thinking" involved.
We usually expect Sydow to be involved in works that are "mystical puzzles", such as "The Seventh Seal" and "The Reward".
But sometimes, like this film, the film is about "reactions". In fact, two things that I was always conscious of while watching this were the title and the "reactions".
Why was it called "Pele the Conqueror"? We come to that at the end.
As for the "reactions", that too is a omen of the ending. The characters don't "think things through". They simply react.
And that does give a very realistic view of the times and the people. It is a story of the hopes of people on a Scandinavian stone farm in the late 1800s. Don't be fooled into thinking that this is a dull "slice of life" film, though.
I am not the most patient viewer, maybe a bit "attention deficit", but this film kept me interested throughout.
I could say more, but then I wouldn't know where to stop. Hopefully, this review gives an idea of what to expect. It has good scenery, and is well made. I feel comfortable in saying that nearly everyone will be pleased by it, and most will be more than pleased.
"The grass is greener" describes the motif pretty well.
The usual description leads one to think it is totally about "Pelee", but that isn't the case. Many characters and many plots are in this film.
I watched it with some expectations. Max von Sydow is one of the most respected names in acting, and even when he appears in high action apocalyptic films, there is some bit of "thinking" involved.
We usually expect Sydow to be involved in works that are "mystical puzzles", such as "The Seventh Seal" and "The Reward".
But sometimes, like this film, the film is about "reactions". In fact, two things that I was always conscious of while watching this were the title and the "reactions".
Why was it called "Pele the Conqueror"? We come to that at the end.
As for the "reactions", that too is a omen of the ending. The characters don't "think things through". They simply react.
And that does give a very realistic view of the times and the people. It is a story of the hopes of people on a Scandinavian stone farm in the late 1800s. Don't be fooled into thinking that this is a dull "slice of life" film, though.
I am not the most patient viewer, maybe a bit "attention deficit", but this film kept me interested throughout.
I could say more, but then I wouldn't know where to stop. Hopefully, this review gives an idea of what to expect. It has good scenery, and is well made. I feel comfortable in saying that nearly everyone will be pleased by it, and most will be more than pleased.