Peter Breughel

I came to this film after watching The Emigrants not knowing what to expect. First I was amazed by how beautiful the cinematography is and how daring Troell is in his use of the medium. The evocation of the early twentieth century is both poetic and naturalistic and it is interesting to see the first world war viewed from the perspective of neutral Sweden. The coming of age of Olof as a politically engaged young man is convincingly portrayed and the gallery of characters whom he meets along the way are colourful and engaging. This is now one of my favourite films. Eddie Axberg appears in nearly every shot of the film and his performance is subtle and beautiful.