Tre solar (2004)

User Rating:

2.8/10   

Director:

Richard Hobert

Writer:

Richard Hobert (writer)

Release Date:

27 February 2004 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Crusader | Plague Victim | Middle Ages | Horse | Church

Cast

Lena Endre	...	Hanna Röde
Kjell Bergqvist	...	Joel Fiskare
Natalie Minnevik	...	Girl
Maria Bonnevie	...	Emma
Rolf Lassgård	...	Torben Barberare
Mikael Persbrandt	...	Ulf
Rikard Wolff	...	Isak Målare
Sven-Bertil Taube	...	Olof Blinde
Magnus Krepper	...	Budbäraren
Jan Waldekranz	...	Priest
Björn Granath	...	Vaktchefen
Stephan Holmström	...	Stadsvakten
Anastasios Soulis	...	Dying Boy
Åsa-Lena Hjelm	...	Fiskarkvinnan
Mats Torstensson	...	Raske

Also Known As:

Three Suns (International: English title)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Sweden:11 | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Eketorp Fortress, Öland, Kalmar län, Sweden

Company:

Cimbria Film AB

Trivia:

Hanna says her hair clip was her morning gift from Ulf. The term "morning gift" derives from the practice of the bridegroom giving his bride a gift on the morning after the wedding night, after the consummation of the marriage and proof of the bride's virginity. Traditionally the dower or morning gift was much bigger than a hair clip. It was usually land or property that could support a wife in the (usual) event that she survived her husband. It was usually given (in trust) to the wife after the wedding.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "High Chaparall: (#2.3)" (2004)

From a non-Swedish perspective - I thought it was pretty good

As happens, one's own views on a particular movie will vary the majority received opinion. Most of the time, the reason for an under- or over-rating is comprehensible. In the present case, however, I am at a complete loss as to understand such an extraordinarily low vote. Is this the same movie that I saw? The date, the cast and plot description would indicate that it is. The only reason I can think of is that since the other reviewers currently listed are Swedish, perhaps the majority of ratings are from Swedes also. Is a native Swede, therefore, able to pick out some particular aspect of the film which I was oblivious too - a cultural or linguistic point perhaps? A brief look at the film will be required first. Three Suns is set in Sweden in the Middle Ages. Some of the men have left to join the crusades, and the black death is a recent arrival. The film focuses on one woman who is waiting for news about her husband, Ulf. Upon hearing about his imminent return, she leaves her two children in the care of her father in law and sets out for the coast to meet him there. Without giving away too much of the slender plot, she meets various people, good , bad, generous, selfish, infectious, healthy, along the way.

Generically speaking, then, this is a road movie, the journey of a woman done very much in a woman's terms - and I think this is where so many of the negative reviews stem from, not out of conscious sexism, but from the terms on which this journey is carried out, its tempo, its motivation and its denouement. Without wishing to push a particular stereotype, I think it is possible to comprehend much of the action in terms of a womanly response to certain situations, complete with certain foibles like impatience, vanity, impulsiveness and the occasional lapse of logic. The action makes more sense when seen in this light, with the only caveat being whether a woman would have been permitted to behave in such a manner at such a time in history, or be allowed to express so openly her opinions and attitudes. As for the other characters, I found them utterly believable, especially insofar as superstition and selfishness surge forth when disaster seems imminent.

As for the actors, I thought they did well. I haven't seen many recent Swedish films, so wasn't thinking about how a particular actor or actress usually looked (something which also seems to have irked some reviewers). Nor was I particularly distressed by the wigs, having had the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy to get used to them. The clothing, buildings, carriages, and so on, all seemed authentic enough to my untrained eye. The scenery was lovely to look at, and in my mind was the high point of the film. As for the language, I was reading the subtitles, so the subtleties of older versus modern Swedish were not an issue for me - the language in the subtitles seemed appropriate enough, with no glaring lapses into modern idioms. The dialogue was fairly standard, with occasional humour. There is none of the pondering depth found in, say 'The Seventh Seal', set in a similar time and place, but there is enough to occupy the viewer in the simple human interactions. The music was standard, but pleasant, complimenting the action well.

For me, this was, at face value, an enjoyable film. It was hardly earth-shatteringly original, but was competently done, with the interesting setting and attractive photography making up for a relatively uncomplicated plot, and some unusualness regarding character actions and motivations, which I've examined in this review already. I'm glad I took a risk on this one, in spite of its incomprehensibly poor rating.