Pelle the Conqueror (DVD)

Pelle the Conqueror (1988) starring Max von Sydow, Pelle Hvenegaard. It's the 19th century, and widower Lasse Karlsson (von Sydow) and his son Pelle (Hvenegaard) emigrate from Sweden to Denmark looking for high-paying jobs. What they find is wretched poverty working on a rich man's farm. There is plenty of drama to witness on the farm, however, as Lasse and Pelle are not the only workers there who are miserable and only wish to escape. But things seem to be looking up for Lasse and Pelle when they meet the "widow" Olsen, who has a home and a cow. From the context and the dialogue, it becomes clear that the help on the farm are no more than indentured servants. Most of them are Swedish immigrants, and have virtually no rights. The movie itself, however, is a rich and varied tapestry depicting life in another time, a distant place. The two-and-a-half hour playing time, usually too long for my taste, seemed like barely enough. The film is in Danish and Swedish, with English subtitles. Grade: A