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Emigrating is always a painful choice; leaving one's native land, the sense of loss, and the struggle to preserve a cultural identity in a new environment are recurring. Furthermore, life in a new land is full of constant challenges, and physical labor becomes an existential dimension that shapes the emigrants' character. The American frontier landscape is splendid but often threatening, constantly fueling the clash between human ambitions and the conditions imposed by nature. Solidarity, as well as disagreements and tensions, are at the heart of the narrative. The common denominator is the hope of improving conditions, integrating new techniques, building communities, and raising new generations in a new country. But progress comes at a price.

Jan Troell's direction (7.0) remains contemplative, a slow narrative, like the passing of the years; the screenplay (7.5) is based on a series of novels by Vilhelm Moberg that spans a long period of his characters' lives; the narrative must be long, but it also manages to never be banal or boring; From a technical standpoint (7.5), the director's own photography plays a fundamental role in lending authenticity to the narrative, while P. A. Lundgren's art direction and Ulla-Britt Soderlund's costumes serve to give the right amount of attention to realism, allowing us to perceive the concreteness of life. Max von Sydow's performance (7.5) is touching and intimate, deeply human in his acceptance of many personal losses, always supported by the emotional strength of Liv Ullmann, touching in her fragility as a woman tied to her land and its traditions.

Best moment: Katrina points out to Karl how their lives have changed, in their speech and way of life; they have now assimilated "the new land," and it is she who realizes that she had always been the one most attached to her traditions. A must-see for fans of epic and historical films.

The protagonist is driven by a vengeful obsession toward the white whale that mutilated him. His arrogance emerges in his attempt to subdue nature, but he ends up self-destructing. The struggle is clearly unbalanced; the sea and the whale are not merely natural elements, but symbols of a force hostile and indifferent to man. The fate of the Pequod is sealed, condemned by the absolute will of its captain, a sort of cursed prophet who distorts divine signs and is punished for his arrogance through the whale. Meanwhile, Ishmael's narrative voice maintains the moral and philosophical tone of the narrative.

John Huston's direction (7.0) has a classical and solemn tone, as if to demonstrate respect and impotence in the face of the vastness of the sea; The screenplay (7.0), adapted by the director himself from Melville's novel, manages to balance faithfulness to the text with cinematic demands. From a technical standpoint (8.0), special mention must be made of Oswald Morris's cinematography, which successfully evokes a dark and tragic atmosphere; Philip Sainton's music, which accompanies the tense moments, lending an epic and tragic feel to the story; and, above all, the special effects, which, considering the era in which the film was shot, manage to lend the right atmosphere to the sea scenes. The performances (8.0) are all truly excellent, the most impactful being Gregory Peck's, who offers an austere, restrained, almost hieratic Ahab, and Orson Welles's, who makes a memorable cameo appearance as Father Mapple in the opening sermon.

Best moment: A classic film that builds anticipation for the showdown, which, when it arrives, throws you out to sea, aboard a Pequod lifeboat, with saltwater spray in your face, rowing and trying to harpoon a fearsome white whale. A must-see for those who enjoy adaptations of literary classics and good acting.

A voluntary and forced action aimed at leaving one or more individuals without social relationships or contact with others. Self-isolation in the mansion, surrounded by the swamp, creates a sense of claustrophobia. There is no escape: nature surrounds the characters and tightens the circle. The film embodies the fear that nature will rebel against human abuse. Frogs and other animals become a vengeful force against environmental degradation. A marked critique of capitalist and patriarchal society, represented by Jason Crockett, rich and arrogant, with a mindset of limitless exploitation. The deaths are not merely random: each character is punished in ways that reflect their arrogance or inattention to the environment.

George McCowan's direction (4.0) uses a rather simple and linear style; danger is suggested rather than overtly shown; the screenplay (3.5) seems like a succession of random and often unrelated episodes; from a technical standpoint (4.5), Mario Tosi's cinematography and Michael Ross's set design exploit the natural environments (marshes, gardens, forests) in an almost documentary-like manner, thanks also to the contrast with the "refinement" of the aristocratic villa, Les Baxter's soundtrack is understated, at times minimalist, to leave room for natural sounds that almost become a biological soundtrack; the acting (4.0) is poor and depressing, with the sole exception of Ray Milland, who at least seems to try.

Best moment: the opening scene, Pickett wanders through the swamp, photographing scenes of ordinary incivility; anyone would be revolted if their beautiful home were reduced to a landfill!!! A must-see for environmentalists and anyone who isn't afraid of frogs.