Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Twilightfa Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Kamila Bell This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Bene Cumb Early capitalism had many virtues for economy, but many vices for people, particularly for those without heritage and funds. Denmark was no exception, in spite of being better-off than most countries in Europe, and as the writer - Martin Andersen Nexø - was leftist, the book behind the film is full of enhanced dramatics and deep depiction of injustice and poverty. Luckily, it is no blunt propaganda, but warm-hearted storytelling of survival and self-development amongst limited and often hindering options.The accomplishment is outstanding; Bille August has created a smooth script and performed skillful direction, but the real gems are characters and performers, particularly Max von Sydow as Lassefar "Lasse" Karlsson, Pelle Hvenegaard as Pelle Karlsson, Erik Paaske as Foreman. The Academy Award is well earned; pity that von Sydow had to lose his nomination to Dustin Hoffman (for Rain Man). Even when the events are not so interesting, seeming protracted, and unfairness is too grave to watch, then following masterful performances bring you soon back to track and the 2,5 hours pass without yawning.And last but not least - nature scenes, from the times were there were lots of uninhabited space and harsh winters. Thus, I regard the nature as a true supporting actor.Well, I have lived in Denmark and know Danish, so the film was particularly of interest to me. I am not sure how e.g. Southern Europeans would see it I personally would not have made time for watching life in Greece or Spain in the XIX century...

drystyx This is a difficult film to review, because it is pretty much all of its ingredients, so the best description of it would either be fifteen pages or fifteen words."The grass is greener" describes the motif pretty well.The usual description leads one to think it is totally about "Pelee", but that isn't the case. Many characters and many plots are in this film.I watched it with some expectations. Max von Sydow is one of the most respected names in acting, and even when he appears in high action apocalyptic films, there is some bit of "thinking" involved.We usually expect Sydow to be involved in works that are "mystical puzzles", such as "The Seventh Seal" and "The Reward".But sometimes, like this film, the film is about "reactions". In fact, two things that I was always conscious of while watching this were the title and the "reactions".Why was it called "Pele the Conqueror"? We come to that at the end.As for the "reactions", that too is a omen of the ending. The characters don't "think things through". They simply react.And that does give a very realistic view of the times and the people. It is a story of the hopes of people on a Scandinavian stone farm in the late 1800s. Don't be fooled into thinking that this is a dull "slice of life" film, though.I am not the most patient viewer, maybe a bit "attention deficit", but this film kept me interested throughout.I could say more, but then I wouldn't know where to stop. Hopefully, this review gives an idea of what to expect. It has good scenery, and is well made. I feel comfortable in saying that nearly everyone will be pleased by it, and most will be more than pleased.

Michael Neumann No, it has nothing to do with soccer balls or bicycle kicks; the title character is a penniless Swedish boy who arrives with his elderly father in Denmark, expecting a Land of Plenty but finding instead only a cruel new world and a dead end future as hired hands on a local farm. The film unfolds at a pace which some would call deliberate (and others would say is just plain slow), but the accumulative effect is mesmerizing: season follows picturesque season with triumphs and tragedies as the young Pelle gradually comes of age and learns to stand on his own two feet. There are more than enough characters and plot lines to fill a movie twice its length, with the magnificent Max Von Sydow in a comparatively small but commanding role as Pelle's weak, submissive father. The period flavor is vividly (often brutally) detailed, and the unspoken yearning for freedom suggests a prelude to a larger saga, in which the same immigrants will later seek another Promised Land across the Atlantic Ocean.

Eumenides_0 At the end of the 19th century, Lasse and Pelle, father and son, cross the sea separating Sweden from Denmark in pursuit of prosperity and happiness. Lasse, a middle-aged widower, promises his son that in the new country there's work with high wages and 'kids are free all day.' It's the illusions of a hopeful emigrant. In reality they land in Denmark to work almost as slaves at a farm, bound to the owner by a poorly-paid contract that doesn't allow them to leave until they've fulfilled its term.Bille August's Pelle The Conqueror is harsh. It's a movie about crushed illusions, xenophobia, class differences, power, economic submission, and the cost of freedom. It's not an easy, uplifting movie.There are two character studies at the center of the film. We've all met Lasse in our life. We all know someone who is cowardly but prone to boasting, who complains about his boss but never stands up to him, who drinks when life doesn't suit him, who makes plans but never does anything to fulfill them. Max Von Sydow gives a great performance as Lasse; he has that rare ability to subtly change his facial expressions from moment to moment, which fits Lasse's mood swings, and he speaks volumes just with his eyes. To play Lasse, a frail middle-aged man, the actor adopts a stooped frame with slow movements, accentuating his weakness. This is one of those rare performances when an actor loses himself in the role he's playing. Max Von Sydow alone is reason enough to watch this movie.Pelle Hvenegaard, who was 13 at the time, also gives an excellent performance. Pelle is the main character and Hvenegaard holds his ground when he shares a scene with the veteran actor. Pelle is his father's opposite: introspective and a sharp observer. In the farm a lively man called Erik (Björn Granath), fills Pelle's head with new dreams about America and convinces him to save his money so the two can go together. It may turn out to be another disappointment, but it's what keeps Pelle going. Unlike his father, he hasn't lost hope.This is the conflict at the heart of the film. The scene the two actors share when Pelle asks his father to leave with him is an amazing example of acting, contrasting the two personalities perfectly, Lasse's fear of the unknown against Pelle's determination to change his life.Besides portraying this conflict, the movie also captures the hardships and cruelty of the farm and community they live in. Right from the start they're discriminated for being Swedes, whom the Danish forearm considers a dumb people fit only for manual work. The foreman dictates the terms, he decides who can rest and when, he threatens rebels like Erik with the police. Pelle's life is even worse because he can't get along with his schoolmates. His only friend is Rut, the bastard son of farm owner and a local peasant. The movie is very critical of the ruling class too, showing its indifference and aloofness. A quick subplot neatly demonstrates the consequences of a farm girl and the son of a landowner falling in love.Ironically, the film is beautiful to look at, especially when the camera lingers over endless ice-covered fields. There's an atmosphere of stillness and peacefulness. Bille Auguste captures all the beauty of the landscape around the farm, even if it's a deadly landscape, where men can freeze to death during winter. Even when the movie is beautiful its ultimate message seems to be: life is difficult.Pelle The Conqueror fascinates me because it's not a distant reality it depicts. Who doesn't know what it is to have dreams crushed because of circumstances beyond our control? To be afraid of taking a chance? To submit to and confront authority? To accept life's unexpected pleasures as they come to us? Lasse and Pelle, two opposite approaches to life – resignation or hope – are always with us. This movie is harsh but not harsher than ordinary life.