bengt_historiska

When this film opened in 1940 it was highly praised by the Swedish critics because of its seriousness and good acting. The plot is rather simple;a seemingly useless murder is taken place among Swedish upper-class people. Although you know who the murderer is, it holds a firm grip on you from the beginning till the end of the picture. The acting is unfortunately rather outdated, but it is still an outstanding film in the Swedish film history and well worth seeing.

When you think of unforgettable movie experiences "Ditte Menneskebarn" immediately comes to your mind. Although I haven´t seen it for a very long time, the memory of it is still very strong. It is about the growing up of a young girl on the Danish country-side. The film is sometimes very sad and at times very poetic. The actress, who plays Ditte, gives a once in a lifetime performance. If you ever get to see this film it´s a must!

If ever there was a hidden gem in movie-history, this is a true one. Despite its rather sombre theme, notice that one of the writers is Jean-Paul Sartre, the film is terribly entertaining and exciting. Micheline Presle is superb in the title role. The black-and-white photography is excellent, as always in the French films from the 30´s and 40´s. This film is a must, if you ever get to see it, although the chances probably are rather slim since it hasn´t been in circulation for quite some time.

One of few modern films from England, that deals with social issues and succeeds with its message. There is one fault with it though. Now and then it falls into a rather deplorable sentimentality, especially the father and son characters, but the intentions are good and honest. It´s not often that political stories are funny, but this one is, at times. Highly recommendable.

When watching this film today, it´s striking how well-made it is. It tells different stories about people living in a house in Stockholm in the late 50´s. Some of them have problems with their marriages while others can´t stay away from the bottle. Does this sound gloomy and boring? Well it´s not. The dialogue is very well written, and the people are really good human beings that in their own way are fascinating to watch. Alf Kjellin. the director, also went to Hollywood and both acted in and directed different films. The novel, which the film is based upon, was written by one of Sweden´s most famous author Per Anders Fogelström. He also wrote the "The Summer with Monica", one of Ingmar Bergman´s well-known pictures.

The famous novel, which this film is based on, was a big best-seller when it was released. Hollywood, of course, was immediately there and realized, that this was something that you could make a movie out of. Despite good performances by the leading men, the film is much too long, and lacks the dramatic continuity of the book. The music, though, by Jerry Goldsmith and the cinematography by Fred J.Koenekamp are both excellent. A little more French influence on the making of this movie would probably have increased its authenticity.

Ingmar Bergman may have made some great films, but this is not one of them. It´s intended to be funny and, I´m sad to say, I didn´t once have a good laugh. It´s a strange mixture between comedy and marital difficulties, which just doesn´t work, but Eva Dahlbeck, as usual, is brilliant. No, if you want to see a good Bergman-comedy, then watch Sweet Smiles of a Summer Night, it´s delightful and funny.

Camille is the Garbo-film of them all. It may not be the best, but it is certainly the most Garboish. Never did she look more beautiful than in this movie and never was her acting better. George Cukor has handled the script,which is based on the Alexander Dumas novel, with care. Giuseppe Verdi also found it so captivating that he made an opera out of it. A young Robert Taylor as Armand Duval is acting very well too; displaying his eagerness and love for Marguerite. This is indeed a fascinating movie.

This is a very typical example of good English film-making. It depicts the early life of writer Sean O'Casey; his struggle to become an established writer and his lust for women. John Ford started the direction, but he fell ill during the shooting and Jack Cardiff took over. None of this shows in the picture however. I think Rod Taylor gives his finest performance of his career in this movie; notice his good Irish accent. As a bonus you can see Julie Christie, who starred in a role in one of her first movies,and this was a teaser of what was to come. Flora Robson and Maggie Smith also appear with impeccable performances, as always.

Suspenseful German drama-thriller about people on board a boat.Good acting from contemporary actors and a good reminder of how great a director Helmut Käutner really was.Notice the surprise ending which beats most of the unexpected endings I´ve ever seen.