Pelle the Conqueror
Lasse, an elderly and widowed farmer, and his young son Pelle, join a boat-load of immigrants to escape from impoverished rural Sweden to Denmark's Baltic island of Bornholm. They are employed at a large farm in Denmark, where they are treated as the lowest of the low. It is ultimately their loving relationship which sustains them through a difficult year.
"They don't get any better than this 1987 Foreign Film Academy Award-winning masterpiece, written and directed by Bille August. Featuring heart-wrenching performances from both Sydow and Hvenegaard, who, through the worst, manage to keep their hopes and love alive, and a flawless mastering by Anchor Bay, which captures every nuance of Jörgen Persson's extraordinary lensing, this one gets our highest recommendation. EDITOR'S CHOICE." - Video Librarian
Cast
- Pelle Hvenegaard
- Max von Sydow
- Björn Granath
DVD Features
Commentary by film scholar Peter Cowie.
New Essay by Terrence Rafferty
Sound: Stereo 2.0
Discs: 1
Blu-ray Features
Commentary by film scholar Peter Cowie.
New Essay by Terrence Rafferty
Sound: Stereo 2.0
Discs: 1
- "In Bille August's "Pelle the Conqueror," Max von Sydow is so astoundingly evocative that he makes your bones ache."
- "CRITIC"S PICK. The von Sydow performance is in a category by itself. It is another highlight in an already extraordinary career, and quite unlike anything that American audiences have seen him do to date."
- "[T]he film is a towering achievement, grueling in its portrayal of a harsh existence yet ultimately an exhilarating experience unlikely to be forgotten."
Gallery
Awards & Recognition
Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Awards
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Academy Awards
Palme d'Or
Cannes Film Festival
Best Foreign Language Film
Golden Globes
Best Actor
European Film Awards
Best Young Actor
European Film Awards