Kristin Lavransdatter

Starring:Elisabeth Matheson, BjÃ¸rn Jenseg, Erland Josephson, Wenche MedbÃ¸e, Svein Tindberg, Lena Endre, Torunn LÃ¸demel, Berard ArnÃ¸, Hilde Grythe, Bjorn Ungersness, Kaare Kroppan, Marthe Werring, Vibeke Falk, Gina Green, Kirsti Eline Torhaug, Sverre Hansen, BjÃ¸rn Skagestad, Joachim Calmeyer, Henny Moan, Svein Erik Brodal
Director: Liv Ullmann
Studio: Homevision
Product Type: DVD

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Based on a novel by the Nobel Prize-winning author Sigrid Undset, Kristin Lavransdatter tells a love story set against the backdrop of 14th-century Norway. After her childhood sweetheart is killed, Kristin (Elisabeth Matheson) enters a nunnery to postpone her arranged marriage to a man she doesn't love. On a trip to town, she meets Erlend (Bjørn Skagestad), who is immediately smitten with her. Though she discovers that Erlend is in disgrace, she falls in love with him and they find themselves in carnal embrace. Against all social and religious forces, they struggle to make their love possible. Directed by Liv Ullmann (director of Private Confessions, star of Ingmar Bergman's Persona and Cries and Whispers), the movie benefits from its richly realized depiction of medieval life. Despite her limited status in this world, Kristin is no blushing maiden; when she repels an attempted rape by bashing her attacker's head with a stone, her face has the fury of a warrior queen, and her passion for Erlend is all-consuming. Kristin Lavransdatter may be too reverential toward its source material to have any consistent vigor as a film, and it's a bit of a soap opera (the religious intensity at times verges on the Gothic), but at its best it has a rawness that captures the pain and joy of life (and love) in brutal circumstances. Beautifully filmed by the great cinematographer Sven Nykvist (whose credits range from Autumn Sonata to Sleepless in Seattle). --Bret Fetzer

Description

This epic love story set in 14th-century Norway is Liv Ullmann's (Faithless) remarkable adaptation of Sigrid Undset's 1928 Nobel Prize-winning novel. Kristin Lavransdatter follows one woman's decision to break with tradition to marry the man she loves rather than the man her father has chosen for her. Torn between her longing for love and her sense of family loyalty, she ventures into a life filled with passion and pain, joy and sorrow. The star of many Ingmar Bergman films (Scenes from a Marriage, Autumn Sonata), director Ullmann collaborates here with cinematographer Sven Nykvist (Cries and Whispers) to create a film as visually entrancing as Bergman's finest. Her insightful exploration of medieval society captures the essence of life throughout the ages.

Customer Reviews:

A much flatter, if beautiful, version of a masterpiece.......2005-11-21

There are pros and cons to this adaptation of the _Kristin Lavransdatter_ trilogy. As I believe that it does not matter what darkness there is if what you read ends in light (which is, of course, the theme of the trilogy), I will say the cons first.

The most obvious con is that it is NOT of the _Kristin Lavransdatter_ trilogy, but is taken almost entirely from the first volume. One might cite time constraints, but that is not the real issue here-- anyone who views the movie quickly finds that Ullman's apparent purpose in sharing the tale is not that of Undset, whose literary and spiritual vision of the novel only begins with the tumultuous love affair. To simply tell the tale of _The Wreath_ and leave it at that would be, to Undset's mind, "churning up the mire in the bottom" of the layers of love (divine and human), as Erlend's brother Gunnulf, a character introduced in the second volume, says. The story starts with erotic passion and is brought through life to, at the end, find only the title of both the last volume and the last section of the last volume: The Cross, which is to say, the ultimate and perfect expression of the love which we search for in our passions, infatuations, obsessions. Ullman's movie, however, is very modern-- a tale of the Scary Middle Ages (TM) repressing Passionate Love (TM.) It's clichéd and flat. To give an example, in the book Fru Aashild remarks to Kristin that she has never asked God for mercy, and also never complained to God for what He gave her in return. This is a characteristic statement for the novel-- a rather open-ended, weighty statement about man's relationship to God. In the movie, it is changed to a remark about never asking God's mercy, because 'love makes its own laws,' so clearly what she did in the name of love was totally fine, but for the intervention of the Evil Patriarchy. The actress then smiles knowingly at young Kristin, who is just beginning to learn that her passion must, of course, supersede rules and regulations. Focusing on these rules would drive you to neurosis, clearly, such as in the case of the character of Helga, who was completely made up for the movie. The religious themes in general are downplayed (though of course there is a strong religious backdrop)-- we are not introduced to Lavrans's deep piety, nor Kristin's own inner torment and slavery to her own desires. The movie consistently edits out anything pertaining to this inner struggle. In the book, Kristin's war with herself is introduced far before Erlend enters into the narrative. A good example is, after seeing her beautiful and crippled little sister collapse, discussing with herself the possibility of entering a convent so that God might heal Ulvhild. She realizes-- she cannot do it, she cannot give up herself, 'take up her cross' for her sister. It is this and the great sorrow she has over this realization that foreshadow her complex relation to her own sins with Erlend-- her readiness to forget everything for her own desires, and her overwhelming, overpowering sense of guilt (to which, of course, Erlend seems immune.) In the movie, there is mention made of Kristin's wanting to enter a convent to help Ulvhild, but no mention is made of her realization that she could not do it. In fact, the convent is not seen as the ultimate denial of self, but where Kristin wants to run away and hide from the much more demanding world. I'm going on too long with this but my point is that reducing one of the world's great psychological novels to a sordid love story with feminist undertones is akin to turning _The Brothers Karamazov_ into a story about a love triangle (oh, never mind, they already did that in the American movie version.)

Other major con-- casting. Obviously. Kristin Lavransdatter is supposed to be beautiful, young-looking, supple, sweet, full of life. Instead she looks weary, thin, sad. The whole point is in this sweetness of life, there is a darker battle between the beauties of paradise (even on this earth) and the pleasures of this world-- but we do not see that in this plain and serious-looking Kristin. Erlend looks too old and melancholy as well; this is not the handsome lord of Husaby we meet in Undset's works. The major exception to this sad trend is the casting of Eline Ormsdatter-- the actress hired for this is perfect in every way (in my opinion) for the character. In fact, I feel that I got more out of the book character simply from watching her in the movie.

Okay, so pros now. The movie is, of course, visually stunning, which can be expected of someone like Ullman. The visual scope of the film is so impressive-- from the mountains to the water to the church. There is also a very authentic and not at all pretentious feel to the 'medievalness' of the movie, something that is shared with the book, which is remarkable in that it is so concerned with being about the captivating story and very human characters that the novelty of a 14th century setting does not stand out noticeably. It does not feel as if you are reading a historical novel, though everything in the book is authentic and astoundingly researched. It simply feels as if you live in the 14th century, and these are certain people from whom we can learn something.

The acting itself is very good in almost all cases. This to some extent is the novelty of an American watching a foreign film-- 'oh my, that's real emotion' and 'my God, they are all crying on cue!' What's more, apart from the two main characters, almost all of the actors seemed to get across something fundamental about the people they were portraying.

Finally, the film is moving. Very, actually. The mixture of Ullman's technique and Undset's words (when they are not altered) create a very stirring, if not always internally consistent, atmosphere. To watch it, apart from dissecting the themes separated from their original design, is to be emotionally and spiritually affected. This in and of itself was worth buying the DVD.

To summarize-- the film in and of itself is good. Very good, actually. If I had not read the book, this would be one of my favorite movies. Having read the book, however, and having been brought into the depths of its discussion of human nature as it slowly and painfully climbs the mountains to the King, I cannot give this adaptation more than 3 stars. The presentation of Undset's masterpiece is flattened and streamlined, edited and sculpted to a message that passion is good, love affairs are also, and institutions and parents need to get over themselves and realize that young people are right. What happens in the first volume of the trilogy is only planted seeds-- it takes about 800 more pages to see Kristin's soul and the environment which she has altered grow and evolve. Perhaps a film trilogy à la LOTR is in order-- but a director would have to have both the talent of Ullman and a heightened spiritual vision. In any case, I am waiting.

One of the ten best films of the Nineties !.......2004-12-27

Liv Ullman an authentic icon about performance concerns , directed this superb film adapted from the homonymous novel of Sigrid Unset.

At the early years of XIV Century in Gudbrand Valley , Norwegian , Kristin is educated to preserve the name and the honor of the family and accepts with any trouble , the decision of her father to a marry engagement her with Simon Darre , the son of another landowner . But you know there are terrible forces through a chain of events which will lead her to a convent . Eventually she will fall in love with Eralend Nikulausson , the consummate seductor and father of three sons .

Filmed with a discrete sumptuosity and illuminated by Sven Nykvist and even you will beware the tremendous influence of previous Bergman films , the movie maintains its dramatic cohesion and expressive force .

Winner of the special Grand Prix of the Americas in Montreal and Grand Norwegian Critics in Haugesund .

A complicated Masterpiece.......2004-11-17

As a historian specifically focused on the 14th century, I loved the historical detail of this movie. The looms, shoes, clothing, all struck me as a lot of effort gone into something that most people might miss. The whole movie has been made with that kind of care; the story is quite complex, though the small details may be lost on many who focus on the more obvious aspects of the tale.

I cannot watch the last scenes without getting teary-eyed and I am not an emotional sort. Rarely has a movie shown the naked truth of humanity, with folly, passion, misunderstandings, and sheer confusion, with such compassion.

Bergmanesque tale of love.......2002-05-18

Loving the complex tapestries of a woman's life in the novel, I was gravely disappointed in the film.
The novel's complex theme--of how sexual passion and personal choices complicate the clear lessons of logic and religion, but in the end point to a higher meaning-- are degraded into a tale of sexual repression and lust in a harsh and unforgiving land.
This might be a forgivable simplification, but for the problem of miscasting.
The Clintonesque Erland, who is brave and charming to all women but lacks depth of character, has little similarity to the dull and not very handsome lover in the film.
Similarly, the klutzy but faithful fiance is shown in the film as a handsome charming fellow, making one wonder what got into the girl to reject him.

However, I must say my daughter in law, who does not know the novels, enjoyed this greatly. If you like Bergman, buy the film. If you like Undset, forget it.

A Sad Disappointment.......2001-03-18

The Norwegian landscapes are beautiful in this movie. Other than that, I don't have much good to say about it. If I hadn't already read the books, I would have found this movie utterly impossible to follow. Characters were not developed in the slightest, and key details were omitted, making it difficult to understand what all the fuss and scandal is about. For instance, Kristin's fiance is furious because her lover takes her to a brothel. However, the average viewer would not know why Simon is so angry that Erlend took her to this particular house. The movie never says what it is. Every so often a random scene is thrown in with no explanation, adding to the confusion. Luckily, I watched the movie with my friend who had also read the book, and has spent a year in Norway. We spent the 2 1/2 hours making fun of the silly translations, the overly dramatic acting style, and the fact that Erlend looks like Chuck Norris with dark shaggy hair. Skip the movie. Spend the money buying the book and then hope that somebody makes a better version of this one.

Kristin Lavransdatter [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Norway ]

Average customer rating:

Kristin Lavransdatter [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Norway ]
Director: Liv Ullmann
Manufacturer: Nordisk
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Norway released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: Norwegian (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Subtitles), Norwegian (Subtitles), SYNOPSIS: This medieval period drama from Norway is based on Scandinavian-author Sigrid Undset's classic novel. The story is set in Norway's Gudbrandsdal valley during the 14th century. The tale begins when Kristin is 7-years-old and living a peaceful, relatively happy life with her family. It has not always been so happy though, as her parents have already buried three sons and nearly lost Kristin's little sister in a logging accident. Though still quite young, Kristin has been betrothed to marry Simon Darre, a wealthy neighbor's son. Unfortunately, the young girl already prefers the company of Arne to Simon. Time passes and Kristin suffers an attempted rape in the forest. She is confused by the act and asks her family to send her to a convent. Later the young woman sees a handsome knight, Erlend Nikulausson, and falls head-over-heels. Unfortunately, Erlend has more pressing romantic problems trying to deal with his previous lover. SPECIAL FEATURES: Interactive Menu,

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