The Emigrants

Jan Troell, has truly captured the feeling of what inspires people to emigrate and the subsequent hardships that await in the land of hope. True masters of the craft, Sydow and Ullmann, are superb in their performances. They truly pull you into the time, the frame of mind and thus make you feel like you are sharing their voyage. A great film that is everything a film should be - moving. It is a mystery why this film did not win an Oscar for best foreign picture, best actress and best actor - though with all fairness, with both Caberet and The Godfather in the running, it would have required a miracle. If you should have the luck of stumbling onto this film at a rental shop, thank Fellini's ghost - grasp it and head for the check out.

'The Emigrants' ('Utvandarna' in Swedish) directed by Jan Troell was released in 1971 and is based on a series of novels written by Vilhelm Moberg and published between 1949 and 1959. The story takes place one hundred years earlier, sometime in the middle of 19th century. And yet, seen today, this film telling the story of a group of Swedes who emigrated from Europe to the United States because of economic hardships and religious persecutions has a strong resonance in the actuality of the second decade of the 21st century. The migrants putting their lives in danger to cross the high waters following the dreams of freedom and better lives for them and their children may speak different languages and their skins may have a different color today, but seeing this film today reminds that most of us or our ancestors have been once migrants. The images of the columns of men and women in march on land or clustered in fragile boats sailing on dangerous seas look so familiar.

As a historical document 'The Emigrants' is a great film. It shows us a moment of crisis in the history of Sweden and Europe, one of those periods that produced the great human migrations to America in the 19th century. From the point of view of American history it is a film about the Zero Moment of the American dream. There is, of course, a lot of naivety in the image that future immigrants have about the New World. Even the most educated of them owe their knowledge of reading propaganda books, written in order to encourage emigration, which contained many inaccuracies, intentional or not. But precisely this naivety is one of the pillars of the American dream. The road is littered with obstacles and not everyone who starts it reaches the promised shore. The power and quality of the film also lies in the description of the psychology and motivation of those who leave their country and the places where they were born and lived forever to embark on an adventure that seems exceptional today. And again, we cannot help but compare what we see in the film with the psychology and motivations of many of today's migrants.

The extremely thorough reconstruction of life in 19th-century Swedish villages contributes to the authenticity and credibility of what we see on screen. The film has an exceptional distribution with Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann in the lead roles. With its over three hours 'The Emigrants' has a format and duration that can be a test for today's viewers. Those who will respond to the challenge will enjoy a quality film show about an episode of history that resonates in the present.

I had this movie on VHS and transferred it to DVD. It is one of the best movies I have ever seen, and its sequel "The New Land" is equally as good. The acting, direction, cinematography... all excellent. It is a very evocative movie and seems to depict quite honestly the hardships and struggles of immigrants in the 1800s. This is one of about a dozen movies I must watch at least once per year. I love it. I would recommend this movie to dang-near anybody!

Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann play a husband and wife who decide to emigrate to America with their family and fellow villagers in the mid-19th century.

The first part of the film details the challenges these people face that make them want to emigrate in the first place. An oppressive village hierarchy in which all laws and rules of accepted behavior are arbitrated by a self-appointed few, as well as conditions that make farming a constant struggle, leave them craving the freedoms and fertility of the mythic U.S. The second part of the film is a meticulous recreation of what the actual journey was like, including a long segment about the miseries of crossing the Atlantic Ocean (including sea sickness and lice), and the interminable trek up the Mississippi River to Minnesota once they landed. It's almost impossible to wrap your head around how frightening this entire experience would have been for them. These people knew almost nothing about the world outside of their small Swedish village (one young man doesn't even know how the ocean works and thinks they're all going to drown if the water rises) and trust themselves to strangers who don't speak their language or really have any reason to look out for their interests. It's a fascinating film and feels more like a documentary than a fictional narrative.

Unfortunately, the only version I was able to see was the dubbed one shown by TCM. I would have much preferred to see it subtitled so that I could experience von Sydow's and Ullmann's performances as they were meant to be experienced.

"The Emigrants" was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1971 Academy Awards, and then because of Oscar's weird eligibility rules popped up again a year later with four nominations, for Best Picture, Best Director (Jan Troell), Best Actress (Ullmann), and Best Adapted Screenplay. At the time, it was only the third foreign language film after "Grand Illusion" and "Z" to receive a Best Picture nomination. And the film's sequel, "The New Land," was up for Best Foreign Language Film the same year that "The Emigrants" was in the Best Picture race. Good couple of years for director Jan Troell.

Grade: A

The Emigrants follows Karl Oskar (Max von Sydow) and Kristina (Liv Ullman), plus their children and some extended family members and neighbors, on their journey from rural Sweden to America in the 1840s. The movie excels at showing the backbreaking work required just to stay afloat on a struggling farm, as well as the everyday misfortunes and occasional calamities that could ruin those already on the brink of economic catastrophe.

Few of the characters believe the streets of America are paved with gold. Instead, The Emigrants is a brutally realistic take about struggling and seeing no future in one's homeland and deciding to risk everything in order to have a shot at a better future. The movie is neither cliche nor cynical about the "American Dream." It makes its social points through contrasts and juxtaposition. We see the wealthy Americans aboard a steamboat interspersed with jarring shots of chained slaves below. There also are incredible moments of wonder, like the elderly Swedish woman seeing a steam engine approach for the first time in her life.

The film is an honest and moving portrait about one group of Swedish expats seeking opportunity, whether financial or religious. Perhaps most of all, the movie captures the sense of home and of homelessness for the characters. The chemistry between von Sydow and Ullmann is incredible. Husband and wife, they say they are best friends, and it shows. It's powerful acting.

I would give this film a 9/10, but for the editing. At least a half hour of this film could have been left on the cutting-room floor, particularly in the first half. You could walk away for several minutes and miss nothing. Otherwise, The Emigrants definitely worth seeing.