Pastor Jarman kommer hjem

Pastor Jarman Kommer Hjem is something as rare as a cross between a French poetic realist film and a film noir. I say "rare" because Norway with its limited film production, does not have many films in this genre. The film was made by Arne Skouen, perhaps best known for his film Nine Lives (1957) released the previous year. This film is his creative follow-up to that Oscar nominated film.

The title of the film "Pator Jarman kommer hjem" translates as "Reverend Jarman Returns". The film begins with the return from America of the Reverend Jarman, his wife and son. On the return trip to Oslo he is called to the bed of a dying sailor. The sailor gives Jarman a watch and tells him to return it to its rightful owner and "to sort out" something. Jarman, being conscientious, promises to do so. When Jarman tries to return the watch to the woman he was referred to, she rejects him. Gradually we understand that there is a mystery attached to the watch, including an unsolved murder. Jarman wants to stay true to his word, and starts out to set things right.

The film brings us into contact with a wealth of colorful characters, stranded sailors and bums. Most of the action takes place in a maritime setting on the docks. The film received mixed reviews when it was released. But, the major Norwegian newspaper, Aftenposten, gave it 5 out of 6. However, time has been kind to this old classic and the characters in the film seem even more interesting today than they did at the time. Today the world of sailors and bums on the docks has gone from Norwegian ports. Also, this film is special because it belongs to a genre which is rarely represented in Norwegian cinema.

I would recommend this film if you can get it.

Norwegian film auteur Arne Skouen's sixth feature film, and the first after a huge success and Oscar nomination of his "Nine lives", this is a story about a man which goes all the way for what he believes in. This is one of Skouen's lesser known films, and the first made in his own production company.

"Pastor Jarman kommer hjem" (Reverend Jarman returns home) starts off with a seaman's priest and his wife and son arriving back home in Oslo after eight years in San Francisco. Just as he is arriving with the boat in Norway, he says grace over a seaman which dies with a few mystical words, obviously with something important undone. He asks for help, though almost in a riddle, but it involves a watch and a woman, Lilly, which hasn't got any guilt, and a guy called Makken. Jarman decides to follow the dead man's wish. But when they tries to return the watch to the woman he was referred to, she rejects them.

The film has an interesting plot and an exciting person gallery of different persons. The film is largely based at the long lost Oslo dockside, and is clearly inspired by some of the Mediterranean dockside-movies from the fifties, and also a bit by film-noir, though this black and white film isn't dark enough. The mystery still is, though, as it unfolds under the safe and steady hands of reverend Jarman.

The film doesn't really manage to follow up the interesting start. And it goes staler and staler, to my taste. The film is said to have received mixed reviews when it was released back in august 1958, due to the fact that some scenes feels a bit staged, especially around Henny Moan's and Rold Søder's characters. This being Moan's third Skouen-film (after "barn av solen" and "Nine lives") I think this is not her best role in any way. Stage actor Søder also had a role in "Nine lives" far better than this. This film over-all lacks the credibility that Skouen was known for. Stagy play ruins the interesting plot, and is difficult to see through. The film is a big step back from the first ones, and especially Nine lives.

I saw this as a part of nicely digitally remastered 16-CD box set containing 16 of Arne Skouen's 17 feature films, in which almost all are with Englisdh subtitles included. This film, however, is not subtitled in other than Norwegian.