6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
In the industrial district of Ådalen, in the north of Sweden, a peaceful demonstration takes a tragic turn, leading to a historic general strike. Amid these events, the teenage Kjell experiences sacrifice and strife, love and loss, and the consequences of this shocking violence.
Starring: Peter Schildt, Kerstin Tidelius, Roland Hedlund, Stefan Feierbach, Martin WiderbergForeign | 100% |
Drama | 57% |
Romance | 23% |
History | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Swedish: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of the Bo Widerberg's New Swedish Cinema collection from Criterion.
Any conversation about Swedish film in the sixties is bound to be dominated by the titanic figure of Ingmar Bergman, but there were
other
Swedish filmmakers working during that decade, of course, and as is alluded to on the back cover of Criterion's four disc collection
of
films by
Bo Widerberg as well as some on disc supplements included in the set, there was an undeniable bit of a "Bergman backlash" at work in some of
Widerberg's offerings in particular. Widerberg will
probably be best remembered by Western audiences for 1967's
Elvira Madigan, a film which escaped the confines of neighborhood "art houses" to become a worldwide cinema phenomenon, one
which,
among
other achievements, managed to get a theme by some guy named Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or something like that significant radio airplay
(including
making the Top 40 on Billboard's so-called "Easy Listening" charts), courtesy of
its haunting use of part of a "Wolfie" piano concerto as a leitmotif. While some cineastes may want to quibble with the back cover's
further assertion that the fact that
Widerberg's films merge "social realist themes" that focus on "the struggles of ordinary people" somehow sets him apart from Bergman, those
same cineastes may find that very description of Widerberg's oeuvre a questionable thesis in and of itself to begin with (for example, was
Elvira
Madigan, a 19th century circus
tightrope
performer,
an "ordinary
person"?). All of this said, Widerberg's films
are nonetheless markedly different in both tone and presentational aspects from Bergman's monolithic work, and the four films aggregated in this
collection are all fascinating viewing experiences in their own ways.
Ådalen 31 is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of the Criterion Collection with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. Criterion's insert booklet contains the following information on the master:
Ådalen 31 is presented in the aspect ratio of 2.39:1. This new digital master was created in 4K resolution from the 35 mm original camera negative and a duplicate negative. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered from the 35 mm optical soundtrack negative. Color was approved by cinematographer Jörgen Persson.This is a really gorgeous looking transfer that offers a secure, natural looking palette and really appealing detail levels, even in some wide framings where Widerberg and Jörgen Persson take full advantage of the 2.39:1 aspect ratio. Outdoor material is impressive, offering a perhaps less lyrical view of Sweden than that in Elvira Madigan, but still featuring any number of really beautiful (if in this case, at times slightly downtrodden) environments. Fine detail on practical items like props and costumes is often excellent. There's no damage of any major import, and grain resolves naturally throughout.
Ådalen 31 features LPCM Mono audio in the original Swedish. The film has an emphasis on local music making, and all of the musical sequences sound nicely full bodied (even some where kids have put together a "band" out of homemade materials). Outdoor scenes feature some good ambient environmental effects, though again as with The Baby Carriage, there are some perhaps slightly comical uses of bird calls. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.
As with at least a couple of the other films in Criterion's Widerberg set, family turns out to be the central focus of a story even with relatively epochal events unfolding around the characters. This is another really moving offering from Widerberg, one bolstered by evocative production design and some luscious cinematography, along with some very naturalistic performances. Technical merits are first rate, and the sole supplement very enjoyable. Highly recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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