Oxen

the feeling to discover a religious story remains long time after the end of credits. the sin, the trust, the confession, the punishment, the freedom. and the new punishment. like a story from an old tradition about the meaning of life and about the force of rules. or, maybe, for the presence of Max van Sydow and Erland Josephson, a film keeping the mark of Ingmar Bergman. but this is only an impression. the essence - the courage to be yourself. to do the right thing in the crisis time. and to accept the answer of the others. to admit sufferance as the price to become again part of community. and to discover the reality as the only answer to yours expectations. sure, it is a parable. but , more important, a realistic portrait about a family, a community and their priest.

atmosphere. story. the tension. the links between characters. the religious axis. the cast. each as part of a beautiful - in special form - film about redemption. it reminds Ingmar Bergman's filmography but that is only the first sigh impression. because it has different rhythm and a form of delicate presentation of story. because it is , like Dostoievski's work, more generous and hopeful. because it is a parable in right colors. all is impressive - the simplicity of facts, the respiration of a community, the Christian virtues. and the acting because the Bergman's actors transforms the old roles level in inspired manner, in new forms, in delicate and precise manner. see it ! because it could be more than a beautiful film.

Set during the times of famine, a peasant kills his master's ox to feed his starving family, for which he is slapped a life sentence in a prison under rigorous labor, which is far harsher than what one imagined. Beautifully picturized and acted, the film touches a human theme on survival and plays much on the emotions. There is much to feel and admire in the short plot it moves with. The only flaw I felt was the starving characters were shown a bit well dressed and healthy.

Rating: 2 stars out of 4.

I saw this this on TV back in the 90's on either A&E or Bravo when they used to show more foreign language films. Longtime Ingmar Bergman Cinematographer Sven Nyqvist Directs and also does his own Cinematography as well as co-writes this fine film. Two of the more internationally known and acclaimed actors from Scandanavia, Liv Ullman and Max Von Sydow, who were also mentored by Bergman are in the excellent cast. Stellan Skarsgård, who is still very active in both Scandanavian and American cinema and popular Scandanavian cinema stars Ewa Fröling and Lennart Hjulström round out the cast. This film was Sweden's official submission for and was nominated by the Academy Awards for 1991 in Best Foreign Language Film but lost to the popular Italian submission Mediteranno. This has the somber, dark and coldness found in films by Bergman and incorporates a good story with good acting. I would give this an 8.5 of a possible 10 and recommend it.

This is a sad, but important, film. If you expect a Hollywood ending, look elsewhere. If you want to see beautiful cinematography, great acting and a story that really challenges, look no further.