Scandinavian

The brutal effect of war on ordinary people is the subtext of this World War II drama from Finland. Perkola (Peter Franzen) is the leader of a small Finnish platoon sent on a mission into Russian territory in 1942. Perkola has been terribly upset since he was told that his fiancée, a nurse, was killed in battle. As the war progresses, Perkola finds that he and his men are slowly becoming capable of acts of shocking violence he would have believed unthinkable as a civilian. Rukajarven tie/Ambush received enthusiastic notices for its excellent photography and realistic battle scenes in its screenings at the 1999 Gothenburg Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Renowned actress-turned-director Liv Ullmann helms this bleak, nuanced film about marriage and betrayal penned by legendary filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. The story is straightforward -- Marianne Vogler (Lena Endre) is a beautiful actress who is married to Markus (Thomas Hanzon), whose job as an orchestra conductor requires numerous concerts abroad, and who dotes on their young daughter Isabelle (Michelle Gylemo). Yet when Marianne has an affair with family friend David (Kirster Henriksson), a film director with a volcanic temper and little regard to those around him, the fallout destroys the marriage and brings grief and suffering to all involved, particularly Isabelle. Ullman and Bergman frame this plot with a tale about an elderly director named Bergman (Erland Josephson, who played opposite Ullman in Bergman's landmark Scenes from a Marriage) who is trying to write a script about infidelity. In his austerely decorated house on a remote island, Bergman invites an actress, who may or may not be a figment of his imagination, to breathe life into the character of Marianne. The actress tells Bergman of Marianne's story through flashbacks. One evening, on the closing night of the play that Marianne was in -- and while Markus is abroad -- David arrives for dinner with her and ultimately sleeps, platonically, in her bed. This unplanned intimacy soon leads to a full blown affair, including a three week romantic getaway to Paris. When Markus finally discovers the couple in flagrante delicto, he demands an immediate divorce and custody of their daughter. This film was screened in competition at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Persona is difficult to characterize in simple terms, but it may be helpful to describe this complex film as being an exploration of identity that combines elements of drama, visual poetry, and modern psychology. The central story revolves around a young nurse named Alma (Bibi Andersson) and her patient, a well-known actress named Elisabet Vogler (Liv Ullmann). Elisabet has stopped speaking, and the attending psychiatrist treats the actress by sending her to an isolated seaside cottage under Alma's care. There the nurse, who must do all the talking for both women, becomes a little enamored of the actress. One evening Alma tells Elisabet about some exhilarating sexual experiences she once had and their unpleasant aftermath. Soon after sharing this confidence, the nurse reads a letter Elisabet has written and is shocked to learn that the actress thinks of her as an amusing study. The relationship between the women becomes tense, and they wound each other. Then Alma has a long dream in which her identity merges with that of Elisabet, but when the nurse awakes, both women have apparently come to at least temporary terms with their psychological problems. ~ All Movie Guide

A seasoned gangland detective who always plays by the rules finds his integrity put to the ultimate test after he and his partner are drawn into a sadistic game of death. Ask any officer on the force about Detective Eddie Argo (Stellan Skarsgard), and odds are good they'll tell you he's one of few honest cops left in this lawless city. But recently Detective Argo and his rookie partner Helen (Melissa George) have become entangled in a gruesome series of murders targeting the city's most notorious gang members. As a result, the city is in a panic and Detective Argo is forced to revisit an old case that still haunts him to this day. Through it all, the killer remains steely in their determination to make Detective Argo pay for a past misdeed, and see how he responds when forced to place his life on the line for the sake of someone he loves. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

When the concerned father of an autistic young girl decides to forcefully remove his daughter from the hospital where she is currently being treated, his mission is unexpectedly complicated by a horde of murderous creatures that seem to have found their way into our reality from some frightening parallel universe. It was supposed to be so simple: the father would locate his daughter and spring her from the hospital before the staff even knew what was happening. After getting trapped in the elevator on their way out, however, events take a horrifically grim turn as the doors open to reveal that the once sterile and bustling surroundings are now ominously silent and dank. With mutilated bodies strewn about and murderous gang of monsters stalking them through an endless maze of corroded hallways, the only remaining hope for the frightened father and daughter now lies in the affected mind of a little girl who may understand more about the situation than anyone realizes. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Though he made allusions to his own life in all of his films, Fanny and Alexander was the first overtly autobiographical film by Ingmar Bergman. Taking his time throughout (188 minutes to be exact), Bergman recreates several episodes from his youth, using as conduits the fictional Ekdahl family. Alexander, the director's alter ego, is first seen at age 10 at a joyous and informal Christmas gathering of relatives and servants. Fanny is Alexander's sister; both suffer an emotional shakedown when their recently-widowed mother (Ewa Froling) marries a cold and distant minister. Stripped of their creature comforts and relaxed family atmosphere, Fanny and Alexander suddenly find their childhood unendurable. The kids' grandmother (Gunn Wallgren) "kidnaps" Fanny and Alexander for the purpose of showering them with the first kindness and affection that they've had since their father's death. This "purge" of the darker elements of Fanny and Alexander's existence is accomplished at the unintentional (but applaudable) cost of the hated stepfather's life. Ingmar Bergman insisted that Fanny and Alexander, originally a multipart television series pared down to feature-film length, represented his final film, though within a year after its release he was busy with several additional Swedish TV projects, and he returned to make one more theatrical release movie before his death - the 2003 Saraband. Oscars went to Fanny and Alexander for Best Foreign Film, Best Cinematography (Sven Nykvist), Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction/Set Decoration. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This rich, powerful Ingmar Bergman film charts the frustrations and humiliations of several circus performers. The circus's portly owner, Albert (Ake Gronberg), recalls a humiliating incident involving the company's clown, Frost (Anders Ek), who discovered his wife, Alma (Gudrun Brost), swimming nude before a band of cheering soldiers. Having concluded his recollection, Albert visits his estranged wife, Agda (Annika Tretow), who realizes that he has made little money with his circus endeavor. While Albert endures the humiliating encounter with his wife, his jealous mistress, Anne (Harriet Andersson), retaliates by yielding to a seductive local actor, Frans (Hasse Ekman), then realizes that she has been exploited and debased. Later, the drunken Frost informs Albert of Anne's sexual indiscretion, whereupon Albert determines to thrash Anne's cynical lover. In the ensuing altercation, however, Frans manages to thwart Albert's bullish attacks and deliver a series of punishing blows. Beaten and degraded, Albert ponders suicide, then decides to avenge himself on unfaithful women by killing the company's bear, beloved by the provocative Alma, whose betrayal of Frost has so haunted Albert. Following the bear's demise, the company departs to another town. Gycklarnas Afton is full of powerful performances and staggering sequences, including the legendary flashback in which Frost finds his wife cavorting nude before the soldiers. In this scene, played with almost hysterical intensity, Frost, dressed as a clown, tearfully carries his nude wife from the water, past the soldiers, and back to the circus tent. The soundtrack's jarring contrast between sheer silence and a blaring brass band, coupled with the black-and-white cinematography's emphasis on glaring sunlight, generate a mood of considerable tension and unease. This extraordinary scene ranks among Ingmar Bergman's greatest feats and readily establishes Gycklarnas Afton as an unflinching examination of the human condition. ~ Les Stone, All Movie Guide

A man fascinated with the process of ending one's own life meets some rather disturbing kindred spirits in this dark comedy. Erik (Andreas Wilson) is a commercial photographer and would-be screenwriter who has left his native Sweden to come to Hollywood in hopes of selling his latest script. Erik quickly discovers there isn't much of a market for stories about suicide in Tinseltown, and he's looking for new inspiration when he meets Lola (Lolita Davidovich), a beautiful but wildly unpredictable woman who lures him into joining her on a road trip to Las Vegas. As it happens, Lola is drawn to Vegas by the presence of Dr. Bangley (John Larroquette), a psychologist and television chat-show host who is publicizing his latest book in Sin City -- "Stay Alive," a guide for those contemplating suicide. As part of the book launch, Bangley is arranging for a number of his more colorful patients to meet him in Las Vegas, where they'll take part in a television reality show hosted by the doctor. The clients include Katherine (Julie Benz), who has been suffering from depression since losing custody of her son; Geert (Alexander Skarsgård), a troubled cross-dresser; and Ella Toscana (Terry Moore), an elderly former movie star with remarkable mood swings. Bangley also has to deal with his teenage daughter, Sunshine (Skye McCole Bartusiak), who is willing to do anything to get her busy dad's attention. As Erik crosses paths with Bangley's entourage, he's confronted with people who are even more obsessed with killing themselves than the average Swede, and feels as if he fits in until gangster and part-time limo driver Omar (Fares Fares) reveals his sinister side. Kill Your Darlings received its North American premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A tormented young writer with a once-promising career experiences an existential crisis that leads him down a nightmarish path of passion, deceit, and murder. John Hayson is a writer whose career was derailed by personal tragedy. Though there was once a time when John was struggling to meet multiple deadlines, these days he strains just to earn the occasional freelance job. As his lust for life fades and his worldview becomes increasingly cynical, John finds himself suddenly pulled back from the brink when he reconnects with his one and only true love. It was a guiding ray of sunlight in a pitch-black forest, and it was the one thing that should have given John the strength to get his life back on track. Suddenly, fate deals John a cruel hand when police single him out as the main suspect in a horrific murder. Now, as the police track him though the streets and darkness clouds his every thought, the anguished writer will be forced to choose between succumbing to his darkest desires or following the one beacon of hope that could prove his saving grace. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Russian filmmaker Alexander Sokurov broke boundaries with his dreamlike vision of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russian Ark. It's the first feature-length narrative film shot in a single take (on digital video, using a specially designed disc instead of tape). Russian Ark is shot from the point-of-view of an unseen narrator, as he explores the museum and travels through Russian history. The audience sees through his eyes as he witnesses Peter the Great (Maksim Sergeyev) abusing one of his generals; Catherine the Great (Maria Kuznetsova) desperately searching for a bathroom; and, in the grand finale, the sumptuous Great Royal Ball of 1913. The narrator is eventually joined by a sarcastic and eccentric 19th century French Marquis (Sergey Dreiden), who travels with him throughout the huge grounds, encountering various historical figures and viewing the legendary artworks on display. While the narrator only interacts with the Marquis (he seems to be invisible to all the other inhabitants), the Marquis occasionally interacts with visitors and former residents of the museum. The film was obviously shot in one day, but the cast and crew rehearsed for months to time their movements precisely with the flow of the camera while capturing the complex narrative, with elaborate costumes from different periods, and several trips out to the exterior of the museum. Tilman Büttner, the director of photography, was responsible for capturing it all in one single Steadicam shot. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Show Me Love is a coming-of-age comedy set in a sleepy little Swedish town called Amal -- the most boring place on earth according to adolescent Agnes, who moved there a year and a half ago. Agnes is not able to make friends at school; the fact she has to sit next to a girl in a wheelchair doesn't help, either. She's in love with Elin, but no one knows about it except her computer. The title comes from Elin's frequent comment about her new home town. For Agnes' birthday, her parents organize a big party, but she is convinced that no one will come. For lack of anything better to do on a Saturday night, 14-year-old Elin and her older sister arrive at Agnes' door, but Agnes is busy crying her eyes out. Left alone in Agnes' bedroom, the mischievous sisters take a look at the computer and what they discover prompts them to play a dirty joke. If Elin can let Agnes kiss her, her sister will pay her 20 krona. The deed is done; Agnes is flabbergasted and soon humiliated when she finds out that she's been had. Rumors spread around the school like wildfire, and Agnes is the talk of the town. But super cool Elin begins to feel guilty; moreover, she has to admit she was not exactly indifferent to the kiss. In his first feature film, Lukas Moodysson shows the pains of growing up, particularly for a lesbian. Show Me Love was screened as part of the "Panorama" section of the 49th Berlin International Film Festival in 1999 and received the Teddy Award for Best Gay/Lesbian Film. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide

Endlessly imitated and parodied, Ingmar Bergman's landmark art movie The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde Inseglet) retains its ability to hold an audience spellbound. Bergman regular Max von Sydow stars as a 14th century knight named Antonius Block, wearily heading home after ten years' worth of combat. Disillusioned by unending war, plague, and misery Block has concluded that God does not exist. As he trudges across the wilderness, Block is visited by Death (Bengt Ekerot), garbed in the traditional black robe. Unwilling to give up the ghost, Block challenges Death to a game of chess. If he wins, he lives -- if not, he'll allow Death to claim him. As they play, the knight and the Grim Reaper get into a spirited discussion over whether or not God exists. To recount all that happens next would diminish the impact of the film itself; we can observe that The Seventh Seal ends with one of the most indelible of all of Bergman's cinematic images: the near-silhouette "Dance of Death." Considered by some as the apotheosis of all Ingmar Bergman films (other likely candidates for that honor include Wild Strawberries and Persona), and certainly one of the most influential European art movies, The Seventh Seal won a multitude of awards, including the Special Jury Prize at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide