Under solen

This film touched my heart. Set in rural Sweden in the mid '50s and beautifully telling the tale of shy, reluctant love, the jealousy between friends and the claustrophobic agony of illiteracy, the film leaves you with the hope that just sometimes the innocent might prevail over the cunning. As a bonus, on top of the psychological subtlety that Nutley handles so well, you are also treated to the beauty of a landscape still remembered and missed.

Nutley elegantly suggests outcomes of actions without overstating it, like when he lets one of his characters mention that he signed on as a crew member of Andrea Doria – which went under in 1956, the year described in the film.

Paradoxically, no Swedish director has ever succeeded in describing the soul of the Swedish people or painting the beauty of the Swedish countryside as brilliantly – or lovingly, for that matter - as Colin Nutley has.

Left the theater feeling good, as another reviewer said. Not the most original story, but has many of the human touches and imperfections that Hollywood often hides. The leading actress is BEAUTIFUL, though still "one of us" in her (minor) imperfections. I was somewhat disconcerted by the Irish music background in a Swedish setting, but then again, what do I know? Hope to find this movie on DVD someday (I'll put it on my DVD wish list, somewhere below "Babette's Feast").

The Swedish film Under solen was shown in the U.S. with the title Under the Sun (1998). It was directed by Colin Nutley. The film is set in rural Sweden in 1956.

Rolf Lassgård plays Olof, a gentle 40-year-old farmer who has lived alone since his mother's death. The only way he can think of to meet a woman is to put an ad for a housekeeper in a newspaper. A woman answers the ad, and eventually comes to the farm. Helena Bergström plays the beautiful Ellen Lind, who has never been on a farm, and would seem to be an unlikely candidate for the job. However, for her own reasons, she takes the position and appears to do it well.

Certain important facts become clear early in the movie. Olof isn't stupid, but he can't read. That's never explained. Were there truly people in rural Sweden at the time who hadn't been taught to read? Possibly Olof had gone to school, but was dyslexic.

Olof's inability to read is a key plot element, because this disability allows his friend Erik to take advantage of Olof's trusting nature. Erik--played by Johan Widerberg--has worked on a cruise ship and is far more worldly than Olof. I didn't think Widerberg carried off the tricky job of being Olof's trusted friend. He portrayed Erik as obviously devious and scheming, and, in reality, I think Olof would have seen through this supposed friendship.

Naturally, the plot produces an inevitable triangle, although not in the obvious way one would expect. That's what makes the movie interesting.

Some points worth noting: Gunilla Röör plays the newspaper receptionist who helps Olof with the ad. She's an interesting actor, and I wish she had been given more than just this cameo role at the beginning of the film.

"Under the sun" sounds like a French or Italian movie--there's not that much sunshine in Sweden. However, the title refers to the Biblical quotation, "There is nothing new under the sun."

Every so often, director Nutley cuts away to a fighter jet performing maneuvers in the sky above the farm. We would expect a bird, not a fighter jet. (Once, it is a bird, but only once.) There's an interesting thread on IMDb about the symbolism of the fighter jet.

The musical score is beautiful, but the music is Celtic, not Swedish. There are some similarities between Celtic and Swedish music, but why not use Swedish music?

We saw this film on VHS (believe it or not), although I think it's available on DVD. It would work somewhat better on a large screen, because of the beauty of the sky and the countryside.

It's an unusual movie, and possibly not for everyone, but I enjoyed it and recommend it.

The three leading actors all perform well but Rolf Lassgård makes an outstanding performance of the illiterate farmer who has never had a woman. Seeing this film in wintertime makes you long for a summer in the countryside. The photography is also of very high quality.

The SO brought this one home, having found it in the 'new releases' section. I remember hearing about it six years ago, but was in the UK at the time and never saw it.

Nutley took the Swedish spirit and gave it back to the people early on with short 'stilleben' shoots of Stockholm and its people and made an impression. 'House of Angels' (or whatever it's called in the English language version) was his first major film in Sweden and one of the biggest box offices ever.

The rental we had preserved the wide screen, which is absolutely essential in this context. Nutley has a knack for finding pastorals which are incredible, and Swedes really suck this up. The images themselves are so stunning and evocative to the local populace that this in itself is enough soul candy.

Nutley is of course together with his perennial leading lady today, and they have two or three children together, and in a clumsy event she was voted best Swedish actress of all time, ahead of Bergman and Garbo, but there is no discounting her talent or on-screen presence. Beautiful in a flawless way she may not be, but her on-screen charisma and meticulous acting are impressive.

Simple story? Yes, perhaps, but it's not only the plot you come to watch: it's the pictures themselves. Why watch Olof chop wood when you can film him from inside the house and show a bit of the window frame at the same time? Some of the pictures are so carefully laid out it's fantastic.

And the story itself: with acting this good, and with directing this good, you're going to find yourself moved and watery-eyed at the end no matter what.

I was surprised to find this movie won and was nominated for so many awards. I remember at the time critics in Sweden panning it. But I must have got this wrong. 'Under Solen' is a tour de force, a work of art, by a Brit who has captured the soul and spirit of Sweden like few others. A 'must see'.