Sofies verden

1999
1h 53m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

One day, ordinary Norwegian girl Sofie receives a videotape on which a certain Alberto Knox talks directly to her from ancient Greece. They start to meet on different occasions as Alberto ta... Read allOne day, ordinary Norwegian girl Sofie receives a videotape on which a certain Alberto Knox talks directly to her from ancient Greece. They start to meet on different occasions as Alberto takes Sofie on an odyssey through the history of philosophy, from ancient Greece, the Roman ... Read allOne day, ordinary Norwegian girl Sofie receives a videotape on which a certain Alberto Knox talks directly to her from ancient Greece. They start to meet on different occasions as Alberto takes Sofie on an odyssey through the history of philosophy, from ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and all the big revolutions, ... Read all

Director
- Erik Gustavson
Writers
- Jostein Gaarder
- Petter Skavlan
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.8/10

YOUR RATING

Director
- Erik Gustavson
Writers
- Jostein Gaarder
- Petter Skavlan
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 nominations total

Photos5

User reviews14

5.82K

Featured reviews

4pilky

Sorry, a failed attempt!

O.K. No one really expected a film to portray in a few hours what Gaarder painstakingly created in his bestselling novel, but this film doesn't even come close to capturing the essence of Sofie's philosophical journey through adolescence.

The amateurish efforts of some of the cast distracts one's attention from the extremely simplified storyline. Will probably appeal to kids but we adults should stick to the book. Might I suggest a BBC television production? Perhaps a ten part series with professional actors and more subtlety. A big budget is, (contrary to popular convention), not as necessary as it may seem for the modern film-maker. Despite being the "biggest" and "most expensive" Norwegian film ever made, "Sofies Verden", is, unfortunately, far from being the best.

lady_deirdre

Don't miss out on this gem!

I had not read the book, but was (and am) very curious about it. Seeing the film would hopefully tell me if I would like the book. Well, I am going to buy and read it as soon as I can now! I absolutely loved the film. It was beautifully shot, well acted and the story didn't feel at all like just a book made into a film! The story was engrossing and thorough, even though not all the philosophers were included and only a short introduction was given to what they represented. It made me wanting more, but did not leave a sense of something truly lacking. At several points my mouth was hanging open in awe: I did not expect a Norwegian film to look this stunning. Especially the images of Sofie and Alberto going back in time were breathtaking (did much of the budget go into computer imaging?). Anyone who has the chance: don't miss out on this gem!

cath-23

Not fantastic, but certainly worth a visit for hobby-philosophers

If you want a quick peak into the world of philosophy, Sofies verden should be the perfect choice for you. The film makers have made a lot out of a very difficult and complex book, and the cast is OK, although certainly not fantastic. See it, be puzzled, and discuss the different philosophical questions raised in the movie with a good friend. It may not make you want to applaud, but it does make you think!

7theswedane

A very thoughtmaking movie

Although I haven´t read the book Sofies Verden, that the movie are based on, I got something to think about very fast. The movie can be felt a bit to long, but makes people think about the most basic things in life as why we live at all. So have you read the book or think about the world of today and in the past you don´t afford to miss Sofies Verden.

5robert_burger

Not acceptable

I read the book (german translation) and was enthusiastic about it. So far, so good.

First, the movie was much too short! You can not handle this wonderful book in a normal movie. Many philosophers were not shown or not honored enough (e.g. Marx, Hegel etc.). The book does!

Second, it was concentrated on the subplot. The main plot should be the philosophy but a viewer who has not read the book could think the story around the other people than sophie and alberto were the most important thing.

BUT: Alberto and Sophie were played fantastic actors!

I think the suitable format is a TV mini series, each part assigned to a chapter. And with the same actors and sound track.