Sweet Land (2005)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190255/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1. The Basket with Peter Coyote and Karen Allen is set during the same time period but in the Pacific Northwest farm community. It was filmed in and around the Spokane and Eastern Washington area. You can see the same prejudices, issues and dreams to make a better life in this country as farmers. I recommend that you also watch this film The Basket too. Well acted and good actors in it too. The other movie is The Bridges of Madison County. Reading the diary after the passing of parent and reacting to the surprises of their lives.I hope you like these recommendations.Thank you.

It's an extremely touching movie about xenophobia, traditional values, and hatred during WWII. All the cast is superb (especially Cumming, Reaser, Heusinger, and Smith! It's a different story, with beautiful cinematography. It's touching. I'm not going to touch on what the story is about (it's on the back cover of the DVD). --- Only problems I had is that 1) most of the characters just disappear at the end (like Lars, Frandsen, Brownie (Alex Kingston who I've never seen in anything but "ER" until this movie - and she does a good acting job, however, it is brief). Beatty and Heard are also (as usual) very good for their roles, 2) There are several "leftist" jabs at religion and capitalism that bothers me, and I don't understand why. I'm not an ultra-Conservative (by far), but I don't like (what feels to me as) cheap shots taken at these elements. However, after seeing where the money came to produce the movie (the sources are in the credits), it's no wonder why they are in there. It would have been given a perfect 10 if not for these jabs, which are somewhat out of historical context. 3) I don't know if there is a good reason why any of the 1968 or "present day" story is even necessary. Just keeping a chronological story of an immigrant mail order bride coming to America would have been great. --- I don't know about the historical accuracy about the backdrop of the movie, nor is it that problematic to me (in this instance). The movie is very good, but could have been a bit shorter and a little less critical about traditional values. --- E.

Welcome to the land of Garrison Keillor. This is a very subtle and beautiful film about a topic that my mother would have been extremely aware of. Being of German descent (a family that began farming in the late 1800's), she and her brothers put up with a lot during the war. They had to make the decision at that point to not speak German, even among themselves. While they weren't put to the test as much (since their community was mostly German), it was always an issue. I think what makes this film is that there is little like it in the film world. The people at those Lutheran, soft-spoken, men-of-few- words farmers who go about their business, trying to stay ahead of the bank. The specter of socialism scares the banker because he can divide and conquer and take the land away from them without much effort. There's a lot of the same fear going on these days and people are awfully forgetful about what brought us here and awfully trusting of the potentially oppressive financiers. This film is so quiet and yet has such an edge to it. It's about true love and trust and how we pass our heritage on to others. I will add a totally irrelevant note. I had the pleasure of actually working in theatre with two of the minor characters during my college days in the 70's. Also, some fine work by Guthrie Theatre alums. See this film. You won't be disappointed.

I give it a five instead of 3 because I didn't watch all of it; I couldn't bring myself to watch anymore of it. Odds and ends: 1. The two pre-title sequences were much too long. So much so that tedium began to set in. 'Teases' should be just that; a hook to whet your interest. I also found the two sequences slightly difficult to understand. 2. I understand this was a first time director so slack must be cut. However, camera placement was poor in a lot of the set- ups.....awkwardness. 3. Music was simplistic and therefore heavy handed. 4. The cars, rented from overprotective antique car buffs, were always so spotlessly clean. Isn't this 1920 farmland America? Actually, everything I saw in my foreshortened viewing was squeaky clean and over- scrubbed. 5. Since Olaf was Norwegian and believed he was 'sent' a Norwegian bride-to-be, why wouldn't he at least speak the language to her, however shy he was? 6. Alan Cumming's character should have been named, 'Nonny Sequitur'. 7. Finally, I think director Selim was channeling Norman Rockwell cause that's what the total effect was for me, a Norman Rockwell painting.