Karl Oskar and Kristina från Duvamåla I only saw the Swedish version (the whole series) and I am aware that some of the movie was cut. However, I believe I still have something to say.
This movie is based on a novel by the Swedish author and historian Vilhelm Moberg. The novel is based on his research and is therefore very realistic and historically accurate. It is depicting the experience of Swedish emigrants in the 1840's or 1850's. The main characters are Karl Oskar and his wife Kristina but there are also many other interesting characters in movie, for example, Karl Oskars adventurous brother Robert who goes to California in the search of Gold.
I am a modern Swedish immigrant to the United States. However, emigrating today is much easier than emigrating in 1850. I am not just talking about the amazing hard ships and dangers that Karl Oskar and Kristina had to face, but the fact that they left everything behind. Their young daughter died in Sweden, but they had to visit her grave one last time to never see it again. Emigrating in 1850 meant that everything you ever known would become just a memory. Think about that a minute.
The homesickness of Kristina was a major theme of the movie. Kristina was desperately homesick despite the fact that Karl Oskar and her succeeded in building a better life for their children and grand children. Kristina probably would not have been as homesick if she had emigrated today.
I think this movie is interesting for Swedes and many others, but the movie really speaks to all those Americans whose forefathers came to America long ago, at a time when emigrating was an awesome choice and often a heroic act. I believe this movie will make it possible for many Americans to connect with their long dead immigrant forefathers.
Truly a 5 Star Movie I saw the movie in English when it first came out and it is one of my favorite movies of all times. I do not get into the esoterics of whether it should be in English or the native language not with Liv Ulmann and Max von Sydow to watch. I just loved the movie and I found it melancholy and very moving. You feel as if you are living with them. I would like to add it to my collection to watch over and over through the years.
Region 2 DVD is now available, but only with Scandinavian subs!! :-( Such a shame, there is now a restored version available but they didn't bother to make it available to the rest of the world. Why do they do this? Wouldn't they get back the investment of the restoration quicker if everyone could buy one????
Utvandrarna PAL regioncode 2
Boxset with 3 DVD's - more than 6 hours, containing the Swedish movies based on the story Utvandrarna (The Emmigrants) by Vilhelm Moberg.
No English subtitels included only subtitles in Swedish, Danish, Finnish and Norwegian.
An epic film: a battle against the dignity no matter what! This timeless film shows how far the power of will of some human beings can reach under determined conditions and not precisely the most favorable ones . Absorbing tale about a Swedish farmers family who , in the middle of the XIX Century to search in America their own place in the Promised Land .The multiple difficulties and the crude realism will let you astonished . Max von Sydow that splendid actor and the radiant and talented Liv Ullman , Ingmar Bergman' s beloved couple actors make with Jan Troell a sublime masterpiece and obviously and unforgettable and spellbinding film a previous or next year both movies would have reminded for many people . Pitifully they were beaten by The Godfather I. But the time will preserve the cinematographic memory in its right place.. This is a clear example who tals us about the greatness and the untamed spirit of the man against the fatality . Gurdieff was asked in an interview if the man could change his destiny . He replied: The great men can do it , the rest definitively not . These emigrants as well as Ludwig van Beethoven belong to the first category.
Utvandrarna I bought this video for a research paper I was doing on Vilhelm Moberg, author of the four Emigrants novels. At any rate, I consider it a testament to the achievement of the Swedish actors that their performances managed to carry feeling, tension, and a spark of humanity although their voices had been taken away. I can't stand dubbed voices, so this is saying a great deal. At any rate, this is a fine movie, telling a fine story (read the books!), the only reason a star is missing is for the dubbing.
Anything Goes Trivia
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