Elvira Madigan

I had the pleasure, and good fortune to see this film on the big screen. It exemplifies classic beauty, one is reminded of Renoir paintings. The film uses landscape to reveal inner emotions, a rarity these days. The structure reveals the final outcome in the beginning, leaving us with is an examination of a process so lovingly portrayed by Widerberg, a process so perfectly focused -- a delicate, lyrical love story -- quite an achievement.

(This is NOT a spoiler coming up--it pops up before the opening credits). This takes place in Sweden in 1859. A Swedish army lieutenant named Sixten Sparre (Thommy Berggren) runs away with a famous tightrope walker Hedwig "Elvira" Madigan (Pia Degermark). They committed suicide in a forest in Denmark. This is their story. We meet them when they're already on the run. He abandoned a wife, two kids and his job. They're madly in love but have to keep on the run. They want to live away from society but find that suicide is the only possible way to be together forever.

I've wanted to see this for years. The only time I saw it was on TV ages ago. It was dubbed with a terrible print and so faded that it appeared the film was in black and white! I finally got the Korean DVD and it is GORGEOUS! The color is bright and strong and the cinematography takes your breath away. Seriously--I've seen hundreds of films and this has got to be the most beautiful ever. There's music by Mozart, the couple are both attractive people (Degermark especially is stunning). There's not much of a story but the scenery is so gorgeous you won't care. This also has a brief sex scene with no nudity but it still is very erotic. Also one sequence stands out--they have a fight and Sixten apologizes by floating an apology down a stream to her. I gotta admit--that scene got to me:) This has no rating but would easily get by with a G today.

This is a film for romantics only! Some people (mostly guys) will probably find it corny and/or boring but others (like me) will love it. This was a big hit with teenagers back in 1967 but seems to have faded away. Too bad - it's incredibly beautiful. Recommended highly!

As did a previous reviewer, I too saw this movie in 1967 in an "art house" theater in Boston, and have been affected and haunted by it ever since. The beauty of a film with spare dialogue, fabulous and touching cinematography, and an indelibly imprinted sound track, entered my young adult brain and took up residence. Who knew that many years later, I would spend time in both Denmark and Sweden, visiting the places where the couple spent time on Tåsinge and in Svendborg, as well as the places where it was filmed in Nordjylland, and feeling as if I had been there before, even down to the sounds of the buzzing insects in the meadows and beach grass. Such films should touch more people. I am glad it is out on DVD, although I have only seen it on VHS. Suspend your computer and 3D expectations, and revel in the feelings.

Remarkable sometimes impressionistic photo and some scenes are just so beautiful! Oh I wish I was in his place out on that meadow... After Goyokin this is the most beautiful film I've seen. The story is perhaps a little weak, especially in the need. Very few dialogues. The music is of course good since it's Mozart. 4 out of 5.

Finally I saw this film on a college campus viewing in 1969 and tried to have a discussion about it with a stranger....big mistake. This is no light-weight film.

Yes there is the storyline fact that he left his wife and children. Also the way they solved their problem is revolting to our western sensibilities who like to find living solutions to problems (with notable exceptions).

But consider the pace of the film, each second of life was dear and sweet, the music gave focus to the sunlight. She was beautiful in youth (the worshiped idol of the 60's and on). He was caught in his love for her, a grasp at life as with the one you love, trapped in the amber of film, forever.

The young couple were living without a plan for the future, not unusual when you're young. Their natural vitality gave a calm pleasure to each segment of dialog free film. A snippet of life savored. One wonders: Is old age our souls' goal?

Yes the audience is practical, steal a chicken, flee the country, do something. And if so how is their love and beauty made to stand before us? Tragedy is necessary.

Now, I'm much older, but still, once every so often I will see an Elvira walk by, I hold my breath and marvel and am pleased that the world still has room for more such Elviras. Grace and beauty.

Since that time, with the perspective from the artists' work I can see a world that would have been only guessed by me, perhaps in a dream; thanks to Elvira Madigan.