En sång för Martin

Caught this film late one night, cold Colorado winter night, and could not walk away to a warm bed.

Well done, cast and crew deserve to be proud of themselves, if this is the director's wish. Never knew much about Swedish foreign film.

Bergman, of course, but not this director. Echoes of Bergman were felt.

The actors who played the leads, Martin and Barabara were perfect and carried the story. I felt their love and pain.

The summer picnic conversation around Mozart's The Magic Flute, was the metaphysical key to the lock for me. Two questions are discussed, light overcomes darkness and even the departed, are still alive and above all love survives all.

Watching the different levels of old timers pull them down into its oblivion, we see the struggles of the two lovers grasping the threads of their love, against the winds of madness.

Nancy Reagen, remarked, "They know from their side, that they are being taken away, against their will, and the look of desperation is haunting. It is the worst stage of the disease." In the last scene, Barbara moves in to Kiss Martin, and he mistakes this movement, to mean food, and opens his mouth, like a bird....its poignant and sweet.

Would own this DVD, as it gave me something I want to keep. I want to know more about the director, and the two major actors now.

SARGE

It is my understanding that when a man and a woman get married, it is because they love one another and promise to be loyal and faithful. Despite the fact that many marriages are no such thing, it is wonderful to see a film that convinces you that it is possible to love someone so much that no amount of adversity can destroy it.

That is the essence of this film. It is true that we learn a great deal about a horrible disease, but, more importantly, we learn what true love is. The drama in this film really takes place in the mind and the heart of Barbara, the wife. She must face the changes in her life from the joy of finding true love in her life after a difficult marriage to a life of dealing with a sick husband. We see her, painstakingly, deal with change after change and sometimes she breaks down because of the enormity of the challenge.

The second lesson we learn in this film is that love brings a real sense of perseverance. Caring for a sick husband is really no different than caring for a child. A mother normally does not lose her love for the child because he or she acts like a child, but, rather, she perseveres because of pure and simple love.

I do not have sufficient words to express the beauty of this film. It rings true.

A film to learn from - in many, many ways. And a difficult film to watch. It moved me a lot. More shocking than any thriller. It reminds me of my own great fear of getting ill in this way. Or my wife for that matter. Terrible. And must terrible is, that this disease makes you another person - and you can't do anything in order to prevent it - besides living in perfect harmony.

The actors were great. And the music. And the nice pictures from the seaside, where the couple lived.

Just one (big) complain: The symbol in the end is too heavy and spoiling. Her life must go on: she starts the clock again. Come on ...

(2001) A Song For Martin/ En sång för Martin (In Swedish with English subtitles) DRAMA

Co-written, co-produced and directed by Bille August with senior violinist, Barbara (Viveka Seldahl) and music composer/ conductor Martin choosing to leave their long time potential spouses to marry each other, and it isn't long "Martin" the title of the movie is referring to, begins to show some of the first signs of alzheimer's, forcing Barbara's hand to make adjustments.

"A Song for Martin" may be the first movie that addresses alzheimer's but it's not the best to address the problem as I thought "Away From Her" was far superior as it does not let the character who suffers from the disease continue to humiliate himself on front of people, for it's already bad enough that he suffers from it.

First I want to say I never heard of this movie before unless it was in the cable listings. The title made it seem like a children's movie. So I was never really interested. Well I got blindsided one morning. I woke up and the party scene in the beginning was going on. Right before she goes to bed with Martin for the first time. I was drawn to the movie because it wasn't your usual twenty-somethings but a middle age couple. I did not know he was not her husband until she broke the news to her children that she was getting a divorce. I am interested now. But I had not a inkling about what was to come. I love the scenes on their honeymoon and I said to myself this is a pretty god movie about finding love at a older age. If it was a American movie this would never have happened, BUT if it is a American movie something has to happen. We are so sanctimonious with our movies so they have to be punished. Well something did happen.

I love this movie because it doesn't gloss over how bad it is to take care of a sick person. And how devastating a illness can be. Even though Martin had Alzheimer I feel his illness represented anyone who has to deal with a catastrophic illness and the caretakers, people who usually love them the most. How many people do I know including me who have taken care of a sick loved one who can identify with the woman in this movie. People are afraid to say how angry they could get or mad with the person they are helping. This movie shows her frustration and anger. The little scene in which she tells Martin that they canceled his show was great. God I knew she was lying. She was angry and that is how she showed it. She never abused him but she abused herself. How many care takers have I known end up sicker then the person they are caring for? Or died. More then a few. My grandfather for one. Thankfully in the country the movie takes place in they have places for people to go to to get a rest and health-care is free. In the United States we not only have to worry about the persons illness we have to worry about what happens if they have to go in a home. Not only because of the sub par care but because if you do not have a lot of money the care is horrendous. How refreshing to see that problem was not something she have to worry about.

In this movie they deal strictly with the emotional side of a illness and how it affects the person who loves them the most. And it is done well. How the wife wanted to make life as normal for him as possible knowing that it was really fruitless. How she wanted to keep him home as long as she could. How it affects the children and friends. The scene where the best friend slips out of the concert hall was so realistic. People seem to disappear when their "friends" get sick.

I am also glad it was not a long drawn out movie. They got right to the chase. The to leads were excellent. On a sad note I read that the female lead actually died right after making this movie and she had evidentially lived with the male lead and he was there with her when she died. How sad.