The Good
A film that discusses something we probably don’t think was an issue in the 1920s.
The Bad
I found the commentary to be sadly uninteresting. A documentary on the times depicted in the film, or maybe even a glimpse into it, would have been great.
Inge (Elizabeth Reaser) has gone from Germany to Minnesota as a mail order bride. She is supposed to be marrying Olaf (Tim Guinee) however due to World War One, and the prevailing societal mores of the day, this isn’t that easy. Eventually, however, Inge ends up winning over the people who matter the most. This quietly directed, but beautifully shot story is told from a looking back perspective as Inge lays her husband to rest. While I can’t say that I always enjoyed the tone that Sweet Land had, I appreciated it the way one appreciates the airy movies of Terrence Malick. While I can’t say that I will go out my way to keep them in my collection (however Badlands and The New World are certainly worth owning), I can appreciate the rich, cinematic qualities that films of this nature contain.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Sweet Land is a different kind of indie film. It deals with provocative subject matter, but it never betrays the time in which it is set. The characters don’t ever do against how we might think they would be, and in keeping itself rooted in the past, this film somehow speaks even greater in the present.
Features
Okay, did they really need to have 5 people on this audio commentary? The participants are actors Tim Guinee and Elizabeth Reaser , producer Gill Bellows, director Ali Selim and editor James Stanger. Now, I’m thinking that with all these people together, I’m going to get some sort of lively discussion. I’m not expecting a Kevin Smith-style commentary track (that’s not what I want and that’s not what this movie needs), but at least these people could seem excited. I just found this to be so pedestrian and boring. They told us what we were seeing on the screen, they talked about dressing the sets, and Elizabeth Reaser discussed being afraid to learn a new language. The most interesting part was hearing Ali Selim discuss what was and wasn’t based on history.
Sweet Land: A Labor of Love Story
Video
1.78:1 - Aspect Ratio. This movie looked awesome. I think Fox should seriously consider releasing this title in one of the next generation formats. It isn’t as if cinematographer David Tumblety has this quiet hand behind the camera. Also, it’s not like the photography seems particularly inspired by any style. Simply put, this movie looks good. The period seems like it has been captured. As I have spoken about, there was a richness to each and every shot but I never felt like the compositions were stolidly composed. Considering that Fox only sent me a burned copy of this movie, I can only imagine how good Sweet Land will look in its final, released form.
Audio
English - Dolby Digital 5.1. Subtitles: English, Spanish, French. The audio for this movie was probably my biggest bone of contention. When this film began playing in my DVD player, I kept checking to the sound to make sure that I had everything set up correctly. As I have also mentioned, once things got going and I got into the film, I understood how and why this movie was playing as it was. While I thought that there might of have been a better way for Ali Selim and his team to put the soundtrack together, overall I think their audio style served this movie quite well.
Package
Sadly, Fox sent this to me in a white envelope without its proper packaging. While I am certainly happy to get this release, I really can’t discuss it without the correct DVD box.
Final Word
When this movie first started, I found myself becoming very uncomfortable. I was shaken by the pacing, the sound (as I have mentioned this is a very quiet movie) and just about everything else. The only thing I could really grab on to was the fact that Sweet Land was a period piece. This is all fine and dandy, I guess I just wanted more. Or, perhaps I have so much work to do, I couldn’t wait for the movie to get going as it were. Once I got settled, things worked themselves out and I found myself legitimately caring about the characters in this film. I saw the richness of each composition and I was amazed that this was an independent film. Truth be told, Sweet Land isn’t the kind of movie that’s for everyone, but this movie’s intended audience will surely appreciate its creation.
If you want an interesting film experience that deals with rather weighty subject matter, Sweet Land is certainly something for you to sample.
Sweet Land was released October 21, 2005.
