"The Emigrants" and "The New Land"- Jan Troell- 1971 1972
When these films were released almost 50 years ago, they were widely celebrated. Today they have almost vanished from the collective consciousness of film geeks. I often suggest you visit Ebert.com, even Roger only reviewed the first of these two films (4 ****). Naturally, they aren't available to stream for free, and I don't suggest you pay to stream them because they are cut badly, and there are no special features. My suggestion is that you opt to spend $20 on the Criterion Collection from Amazon. This includes a 3rd disc with over 2 hours of features. The two films, best thought of as one long film, run 6 and 1/2 hours. I have probably turned off all of you. However, I consider this to be must viewing. No other films to my knowledge deal so profoundly with any American immigrants. So what, you may ask, you are unreasonably interested in the American Immigrant stories. These pictures are meticulously filmed, but with great beauty. Two of the greatest actors in the history of cinema, Liv Uhlmann and Max von Sydow star with unbelievable performances. Liv Uhlmann considers this film the highpoint of her career. I sense that I am failing to connect with the readers.
These films are based on a four novel set by Villham Moberg which are considered Swedish classics. Troell and his producer, Bengst Forsland, wrote the screen play, Troell directed, was the main camera operator, and he edited the film. In the mid 19th century conditions in Western Europe were very difficult for peasant farmers. In Ireland this is the time of the Great Potato Famine. In Sweden bad weather, repressive religious and social moraes, and poor farming land, helped to fuel a mass emigration to America. These emigrants believed that they could find freedom in the United States. The Irish emigrants spoke English, but they were Roman Catholic.
The swedes spoke no English, but they were Protestant.
Karl Oskar (von Sydow) takes over his father's farm after his father cripples himself moving rocks. He tells Karl Oscar that he needs a woman. That woman is Kristin (Uhlmann); we first see her swinging; she is full of joy. She ends her life years later in America. She dies from the effects of a miscarriage; Karl Oskar is at the bedside. He offers her the first apple from the tree she planted. They are best friends. Troell majestically weaves the story of these two ordinary, but extraordinary people into the warp of history.
Troell doesn't pretty up their lives. Six years of painful struggle to farm a pile of rocks with the last two made even more difficult by the weather makes the emigration to America a necessity in the mind of Karl Oscar. Kristin is less willing to leave her home and family. They join a relative who is leading an illegal congregation
on a voyage to the United States. Their knowledge about the States is limited and often overly rose colored.
The voyage is truly horrendous. This is the only section of the film which is shot on a stage set. The quarters are more than close, food and water are at a premium. There are lice and people die during the passage. Their journey doesn't end with their arrival in New York; they have more than a thousand miles to travel to Minnesota Territory. The first film ends with Karl Oskar finding the best farm land in the United States.
Karl Oskar has a younger brother, Robert (Eddie Axberg) who had left the family farm to work as a laborer for a cruel master. Their contracts were for a year and enforceable by law. His master beats him regularly, and one blow to the head leaves him with a ringing ear. Robert doesn't want to be a farmer in Minnesota; he wants to join the California gold rush with his slightly slow friend. They met as laborers on the farm. In telling this story of the journey to the gold fields Troell uses no dialogue. What everyone who has seen this film remembers is the surrealistic journey in the desert. This effect was achieved by by hand cutting and and splicing two series of shots a frame at a time. Robert's friend dies, and he is tricked out of his gold and given counterfeit greenbacks in exchange. Robert gives this money to Karl Oskar and Kristin; when Karl Oskar finds out that it is counterfeit; he smacks Robert in his bad ear.
In Minnesota Karl Oscar has become a U.S. citizen. When the Civil War breaks out, he tries to enlist. He is rejected because of a bad foot. Kristin is pleased. Throughout their time in their new home; they are visited by the Sioux. The film does deal with how the Sioux were cheated by the US government, but it is from the viewpoint of the immigrant Swedish community. The Sioux revolt of 1862 is important to the immigrants. Most flee to their church, and the children are sent away. Karl Oscar remains to care for Kristin. She dies from the effects of her miscarriage. Karl Oskar lives on until 1890. None of his children, nor their descendants car write Swedish, so a final letter to his sister in Sweden is written by a friend. There is nothing of consequence for Karl Oskar after the death of his wife and best friend Kristin.
I want to mention two types of shots. Troell is fascinated by animals, particularly birds in their natural settings.
The flights of geese often serve as bridges in the narrative. There is one memorable scene where a mother is preparing a goose for cooking. This includes gutting the bird and removing the inards. This precedes the scenes where the Sioux in revolt kill the entire family, including gutting a pregnant woman. The other type of shots focus on hands doing tasks. We see the kneading of flour for bread, the making of coffins, and the carving of a baptismal bowl, among many many other tasks.
I wasn't really sure about writing this comment, but I decided that this film is important enough to merit a detailed comment. I think this two film set is groundbreaking. Again this is a must see.
When these films were released almost 50 years ago, they were widely celebrated. Today they have almost vanished from the collective consciousness of film geeks. I often suggest you visit Ebert.com, even Roger only reviewed the first of these two films (4 ****). Naturally, they aren't available to stream for free, and I don't suggest you pay to stream them because they are cut badly, and there are no special features. My suggestion is that you opt to spend $20 on the Criterion Collection from Amazon. This includes a 3rd disc with over 2 hours of features. The two films, best thought of as one long film, run 6 and 1/2 hours. I have probably turned off all of you. However, I consider this to be must viewing. No other films to my knowledge deal so profoundly with any American immigrants. So what, you may ask, you are unreasonably interested in the American Immigrant stories. These pictures are meticulously filmed, but with great beauty. Two of the greatest actors in the history of cinema, Liv Uhlmann and Max von Sydow star with unbelievable performances. Liv Uhlmann considers this film the highpoint of her career. I sense that I am failing to connect with the readers.
These films are based on a four novel set by Villham Moberg which are considered Swedish classics. Troell and his producer, Bengst Forsland, wrote the screen play, Troell directed, was the main camera operator, and he edited the film. In the mid 19th century conditions in Western Europe were very difficult for peasant farmers. In Ireland this is the time of the Great Potato Famine. In Sweden bad weather, repressive religious and social moraes, and poor farming land, helped to fuel a mass emigration to America. These emigrants believed that they could find freedom in the United States. The Irish emigrants spoke English, but they were Roman Catholic.
The swedes spoke no English, but they were Protestant.
Karl Oskar (von Sydow) takes over his father's farm after his father cripples himself moving rocks. He tells Karl Oscar that he needs a woman. That woman is Kristin (Uhlmann); we first see her swinging; she is full of joy. She ends her life years later in America. She dies from the effects of a miscarriage; Karl Oskar is at the bedside. He offers her the first apple from the tree she planted. They are best friends. Troell majestically weaves the story of these two ordinary, but extraordinary people into the warp of history.
Troell doesn't pretty up their lives. Six years of painful struggle to farm a pile of rocks with the last two made even more difficult by the weather makes the emigration to America a necessity in the mind of Karl Oscar. Kristin is less willing to leave her home and family. They join a relative who is leading an illegal congregation
on a voyage to the United States. Their knowledge about the States is limited and often overly rose colored.
The voyage is truly horrendous. This is the only section of the film which is shot on a stage set. The quarters are more than close, food and water are at a premium. There are lice and people die during the passage. Their journey doesn't end with their arrival in New York; they have more than a thousand miles to travel to Minnesota Territory. The first film ends with Karl Oskar finding the best farm land in the United States.
Karl Oskar has a younger brother, Robert (Eddie Axberg) who had left the family farm to work as a laborer for a cruel master. Their contracts were for a year and enforceable by law. His master beats him regularly, and one blow to the head leaves him with a ringing ear. Robert doesn't want to be a farmer in Minnesota; he wants to join the California gold rush with his slightly slow friend. They met as laborers on the farm. In telling this story of the journey to the gold fields Troell uses no dialogue. What everyone who has seen this film remembers is the surrealistic journey in the desert. This effect was achieved by by hand cutting and and splicing two series of shots a frame at a time. Robert's friend dies, and he is tricked out of his gold and given counterfeit greenbacks in exchange. Robert gives this money to Karl Oskar and Kristin; when Karl Oskar finds out that it is counterfeit; he smacks Robert in his bad ear.
In Minnesota Karl Oscar has become a U.S. citizen. When the Civil War breaks out, he tries to enlist. He is rejected because of a bad foot. Kristin is pleased. Throughout their time in their new home; they are visited by the Sioux. The film does deal with how the Sioux were cheated by the US government, but it is from the viewpoint of the immigrant Swedish community. The Sioux revolt of 1862 is important to the immigrants. Most flee to their church, and the children are sent away. Karl Oscar remains to care for Kristin. She dies from the effects of her miscarriage. Karl Oskar lives on until 1890. None of his children, nor their descendants car write Swedish, so a final letter to his sister in Sweden is written by a friend. There is nothing of consequence for Karl Oskar after the death of his wife and best friend Kristin.
I want to mention two types of shots. Troell is fascinated by animals, particularly birds in their natural settings.
The flights of geese often serve as bridges in the narrative. There is one memorable scene where a mother is preparing a goose for cooking. This includes gutting the bird and removing the inards. This precedes the scenes where the Sioux in revolt kill the entire family, including gutting a pregnant woman. The other type of shots focus on hands doing tasks. We see the kneading of flour for bread, the making of coffins, and the carving of a baptismal bowl, among many many other tasks.
I wasn't really sure about writing this comment, but I decided that this film is important enough to merit a detailed comment. I think this two film set is groundbreaking. Again this is a must see.
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