The Outlaw and His Wife/Victor Sjostrom

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

A masterpiece of the Swedish silent cinema, Victor Sjostrom's The Outlaw And his Wife is a film of remarkable psychological complexity, which bore a profound influence on the work of Ignmar Bergman and Carl Theodor Dreyer. When a mysterious stranger (played by Sjostrom) is hired on at a farm by its widowed owner (Edith Erastoff, who would later become Sjostrom's wife), a romantic bond quickly forms. But the man's troubled past foils their chances at happiness, and forces them to seek refuge in the nearby mountains. Sjostrom's masterful use of landscape is visually and dramatically stunning, particularly in the film's latter half, as the couple battles both their pursuers and nature itself, culminating in an unforgettable climax.

DVD FEATURES:

• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Screen: Tint

AWARDS

• Telluride Film Festival

•     Film Presented - 1982

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Victor Sjostrom - Berg-Eyvind
       Edith Erastoff - Halla
       Erland Josephson - Narrator
       Artur Rolen
       John Ekman - Arnes
       Nils Ahren
       Victor Sjostrom

• Director:

  Victor Sjöström, Gosta Werner

• Producer:

  Charles Magnusson

• Screenwriter:

  Victor Sjöström, Gosta Werner

• Cinematographer:

  Julius Jaenzon

• Production Designer:

  Axel Esbensen

REVIEW:

• Beginning in the mid-1910s, actor and director Victor Sjostrom created a series of features that were landmarks of both Swedish and international cinema. Prominent among these was The Outlaw and His Wife. While at moments the film may appear to be a routine melodrama, at the time of its release the mature approach towards the characters' psychological states and the stunning location photography were groundbreaking. The locations, photographed by pioneer cameraman Julius Jaenzon, are striking not only for their beauty, but also the unique role they play in the characters' lives. The mountains dominate their existence, and ultimately, it is nature that has control over whether they live or die. Among the more stirring moments are Ejvind's heartstopping fall from a cliff, the sequence where Bjorn's posse catches up with the fugitives, and Halla and her child are forced to the edge of the cliff, and the climactic starvation sequence that concludes with a startling final shot. The acting is filled with histrionics, but does have its moments of subtlety and insight, and if The Outlaw and His Wife has not entirely aged gracefully, its importance to the development of filmmaking also remains evident. ~ Bob Mastrangelo, Rovi