Les Émigrants

This film is so deeply immersive, taking its time to give us an incredibly realistic portrayal of what life was like in 1840's rural Sweden, and then an immigrant to America. The first hour or so is slow, but it establishes the world these people were living in, with hardships often threatening ruin, when child mortality rates in Sweden were 20-25%, and when superstition, ignorance, and religion were so dominant. The context is incredibly important to show the motivation to emigrate, and just how extraordinary the undertaking was. It also amplifies one of the film's best scenes, that backward glance they take at the old farm as they trundle down the road in their carriage. It's an enormous moment for not only them, but their children and descendants. To the film's credit, nothing is fast forwarded; we're not given simple cursory scenes in Sweden, cut to being on the ship, and then to arriving in a new land all smiles. We really feel the experience at each stage.

There are lots of little touches in the film, such as the family's reaction to being on a train for the first time, reminding us that railroads were a monumental innovation in the 19th century. The priest who is with them along with his followers because they were persecuted in Sweden doles out some sublime thoughts, such as reminding them that even lice are god's creation and that suffering because of them allows one to understand suffering in others better and to empathize. He also dispenses a lot of nonsense, such as the idea that they'll magically understand English when they land in America per his understanding of the Bible, and in general trying to attribute everything that happens in their little lives to divine favor or displeasure operating on them in ways he's always trying to explain after the fact.

The family is incredibly naïve about planning beyond the idea of 'going to America', and their rosy optimism of all the wonderful things they would find there. It's interesting that on the one hand they find a fellow Swede in Minnesota living in what his mother sees as squalor, but on the other hand, that they're free to stake out claims to beautiful, arable land, which is hard to fathom today. They are in some sense disillusioned, but in another sense, are in a paradise of sorts. There are lots of moments where fantasy and reality meet in the film, but it's in nuanced ways and never overplayed.

It's a fantastic moment when we get a brief glimpse of slaves in chains on a steamboat, and in those poor eyes get a heartstopping reminder that to others, coming to America was a very different, horrifying nightmare of an experience. So much for the idea that the young men had read about in Sweden, that "many of the slaves have better houses, food, and circumstances than peasants in Europe." Unfortunately while we might see a few Native Americans at one of the stops, the idea that the land these people from Sweden are claiming had been inhabited by people who were going through genocide is not articulated by the film, though it is in the sequel, 'The New Land.'

In terms of production value, there is a lot to love about the realism. We're not flooded with grand images of landscapes, and even the beauty we see in the woods or fields has a natural ruggedness to it. It's a very small moment, but at one point director Jan Troell gives us the sun on the water during a very serene moment with slow undulations, which I found simply exquisite, and such a contrast to the harshness of the ocean journey. The performances from Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, and the rest of the fine cast are unaffected and natural. The version I saw had unfortunately been dubbed in English though, and I think seeing it in Swedish with English subtitles would have been infinitely preferable, and much more in keeping with the spirit of the film, so if it's an option for you, I would certainly seek it out.

The Emigrants is one of the best stories ever told of a family's emigration to America to flee an authoritarian government and find better land for farming.

I was trying to explain one of the most unique things about the film (and its 2nd part, The New Land) to my brother but I was having a hard time finding the words. Finally, "transfixed" was what I was looking for. The film is long but it held me "transfixed" with nearly every scene. The shots are long. The dialog is often sparse. The soundtrack is almost non-existent. Rather, the director holds one nearly spellbound by "showing" rather "telling" the story. The imagery and expressions on the actors' faces and their silent actions relate most of what makes this film so powerful.

As the viewer, you feel almost like you are right there with the characters, sharing the moments along side them. One becomes immersed in what is happening as if you are there. The powerful empathy that the film manages to generate within the viewer is really quite amazing given the lack (or maybe due to the lack) of modern cinematic styles and techniques.

Another thing about this film that is incredibly impressive is that the viewer really gets a sense of how someone migrating from Sweden at the time would see things and think. The perspective is fresh and unapologetically authentic. Unlike many films set in the past, it does not "dumb-down" any aspect by modernizing or "updating" anything to make it easier for a modern audience to relate to (language, mannerisms, music, etc.). One of my biggest peeves about modern films set in the past is that, other than the wardrobe, everything else is modern... modern language, modern manners, modern politics/norms, modern music (electric guitar in the soundtrack of a "western" film?). It is also refreshingly unpolluted by modern-day political correctness.

This is really a fantastic work of art that in many ways, gets better with time as it is so accurate and truthful to the situation and period. The 2nd part, "The New Land" is equally as fantastic. It is not a "sequel" per se, but rather the filmmaker realized he would need several hours to accurately portray the story set out in the book and one movie would be too long. So, it was essentially shot as one long movie but released in two parts in back-to-back years.

This film really provides the viewer with an authentic sense of the times and the situations many emigrants went through in the mid-19th century. One of the best film discoveries I've made in a long time. Highly recommended.

I had this movie on VHS and transferred it to DVD. It is one of the best movies I have ever seen, and its sequel "The New Land" is equally as good. The acting, direction, cinematography... all excellent. It is a very evocative movie and seems to depict quite honestly the hardships and struggles of immigrants in the 1800s. This is one of about a dozen movies I must watch at least once per year. I love it. I would recommend this movie to dang-near anybody!

Jan Troell, has truly captured the feeling of what inspires people to emigrate and the subsequent hardships that await in the land of hope. True masters of the craft, Sydow and Ullmann, are superb in their performances. They truly pull you into the time, the frame of mind and thus make you feel like you are sharing their voyage. A great film that is everything a film should be - moving. It is a mystery why this film did not win an Oscar for best foreign picture, best actress and best actor - though with all fairness, with both Caberet and The Godfather in the running, it would have required a miracle. If you should have the luck of stumbling onto this film at a rental shop, thank Fellini's ghost - grasp it and head for the check out.

One of the few foreign language films to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards (it didn't win, of course), The Emigrants tells the story of the hardships a family faces in a rural county of Sweden, causing them to look to America as a refuge. What's interesting about The Emigrants is that the film is Swedish- you wouldn't necessarily expect the Swedes to make a film about how awful Sweden is and how great the United States is. But, using a realistic and not melodramatic approach, the film lets us know what the family is struggling with and allows us to understand them.

The characters, played by Ingmar Bergman regulars Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann and Allan Edwall, face poor harvests, starvation, poverty, religious persecution and even false rumours of bestiality. They look to the US as a place where a farmer can become rich, with even American slavery looking better than their previous situation. Getting to North America, however, will take a rough voyage in which our heroes will face disease, lice and death, and come into psychological conflict with each other. This makes for a strong drama.

Surely one of the best foreign films of the 1970s and a great addition to the strong cinematic year 1971, The Emigrants is an understated but still compelling film, and I look forward to The Criterion Collection's restoration.