Pelle the Conqueror won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language film when it was originally released in the late eighties. It absolutely blew me away at the theater. A classic, coming of age movie set in the nineteenth century, it details the life of a father (Max von Sydow) and his son, forced to immigrate to Denmark to find work after the death of the his wife. They are told that life in Denmark will be easy; they will be rich.
The find work as laborers on a farm in a desolate seaside landscape. It is a hard life indeed. Max von Sydow is wonderful as the elderly father of young Pelle but the child's role is also very well acted, and it is he who is Pelle, the Conqueror. Bille August directed this and also wrote the screenplay.
I give few 10s in my little notebook, but this won one. Anyone else out there seen it?
For more Forgotten Movies, see Todd Mason's site.
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13 comments:
I enjoyed this film as well. I once watched PELLE back to back with Ingmar Bergman's THE SEVENTH SEAL. Sydow is a favorite.
I must admit I've never seen it. It's often hard for me to get Jackie to foreign language films.
Jeff M.
Oh, I've heard of this one, Patti, but never seen it. I should.
I just saw Sydow in Conan. I like his acting.
The ones I remember in particular are Jan Troell's THE EMIGRANTS (1971) and THE NEW LAND (1972), about emigrating from Sweden to Minnesota in the 19th Century. Max Von Sydow and Liv Ullmann starred.
We still talk about certain scenes in the movie, which we haven't seen in nearly 40 years.
Jeff M.
Yes, Sydow is always good. Haven't seen them in years either, Jeff. I mix them up with other immigrant stories now.
It is certainly not forgotten in Denmark - at least not in our home :D
As you´ll probably know by now, I watch very few films, but I´d also give this gem 10 stars, and I think I have watched it three times.
Definitely a good one. Max von Sydow is cool.
Of course he was Father Merrin in THE EXORCIST way back in 1974.
He's 82.
Jeff M.
I know of this one, but don't recall seeing it. I've seen Sydow in so many films, especially all the Bergmans, like HOUR OF THE WOLF. It's always a delight to have him show up in a cameo role in a Hollywood film.
One of the numerous films I've seen a piece of, while meaning to get back to seeing the rest...as with every Bergman fan, I suspect, MVS is someone whom I'll always take a chance with.
Turns out I did see before the last little bit of the second episode of MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE Ion ran last night (they're running two episodes every Tuesday through the season)...rather as described above! Would that PARENTHOOD was nearly as good as MEN.
I gave Parenthood an entire season and it seemed too much like so many other shows, esp. Brothers and Sisters. MOCA actually have real-life problems and the writing is good. Who knew Ray Romano had it in him?
Oh, I did. EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND was always an intolerable waste of at least two talents. I kept looking for the Romano I saw on DR. KATZ.
PARENTHOOD is just this much more interesting than the cancelled BROTHERS AND SISTERS, but yes, way too close.
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