Antonias Welt

Rarely does a movie embrace life as fully as "Antonia" (also known Antonia's Line). It was the deserving winner of the Academy Award for best foreign film in 1995. Quirky, unexpected, funny, frightening, and ultimately beautiful, Antonia's line is a portrait of hope that successfully escapes being saccharine. There are moments of violence and despair, but beauty endures. It portrays 3 generations of independent women, and the matriarch of their unusual family, Antonia. Antonia left her small village before WWII and returns years later with her grown daughter. Antonia has an opinion on everything, and smiles as she points out the colorful village characters to her cosmopolitan artist daughter who is amused by everyone from the town busy-bodies to the tradition of drunk men peeing on the church wall. However, Antonia manages to carve out a place for herself by embracing love when she finds it, and opening her arms to the needy outcasts and oddballs that are victimized by cruel villagers.

This film also offers a wonderfully refreshing depiction of love in all shapes and sizes-- connections between mentally handicapped loners, romance between women, elderly romance. It does not sensationalize these unusual couplings, rather it highlights the giddy delight that is two human beings connecting. This is truly a movie about self-made "family," lonely souls that find each other and live together with loyalty. However, one graphic rape scene and a few other (naratively essential) scenes of violence make it inappropriate for young or sensitive children. It is overall, however, not gritty or depressing. Rather it is a portrait of hope made more real by addressing the presence of shadows.

Both "My life as a Dog" and "American Beauty" are reminiscent of the kind of beauty and humor you can expect from this film.

I have to disagree with those who claim that this film is ULTRA feminist. Though Marleen Gorris' feminism is indeed apparent is indisputable. But people who are not necessarily part of the feminist movement will still appreciate this film. It is a more modern view of the independent woman, but I didn't see the political agenda of Gorris overpowering the film. It can be enjoyed as a simple "fairy-tale" (as declared by Gorris herself). The portrayal of women as independent and strong is definitely refreshing, but those who claim this film makes a statement against religion and family aren't necessarily accurate. the film covers these issues, showing women's strength in dealing with religious hypocrites and single motherhood, but I personally didn't feel the film was encouraging all women to leave the church or raise up families independently. It's a marvelous story of women's strengths and vulnerabilities, and the love that the women in one family share. ALL people will enjoy this film.

This film is a beautiful presentation of European feminism, which, unlike its American counterpart, is about exploring and celebrating femininity rather than just kicking men in the balls. It is also a film that, judging by the other user comments, appeals to men just as strongly as to women. Literary, beautifully filmed and emotionally gripping, "Antonia's Line" is (pardon the cliche) a film unlike any other.

I think the other viewer got it wrong when they said the movie suggested "who needs men?". This movie contains every kind of relationship combination imaginable-- the message was anybody can find love. People also have children under all sorts of circumstances in this movie. The characters are in a family like relationship to each other because in a lot of cases they don't fit in with their family or the norm. Not to mention it explores the relationship of a woman with her family--- her mother, her daughter and her granddaughter. This movie explores religion and atheism, namely the hypocrisy of religion and the emptiness and search for meaning when one doesn't have religion. This movie explores a lot of themes- love, life, death, good vs. evil, and meaning. If all a person got out of it was that it was anti-family and anti-religion and anti-male, then they have lived a pretty sheltered life and won't get "it" anyway.

I found Antonia's Line to be a wonderful expression of what is endearing and enduring in the human spirit. It was a truly lovely story, clever character development, warmly delivered. I can understand how some may not understand or enjoy this film. It flies in the face of convention, but that is its beauty. Some would fear the freedoms this film demonstrates.

Love and acceptance abound, in a timeless manor. I like the way it offered a different definition of family, one where diversity is an asset, guarded by respect.

This is one of the greatest stories to come across the screen.