Reviews

I couldn't get into this. I really enjoy Masterpiece Theater series, and usually don't mind subtitles. This series being done in three different languages is just annoying. They're historical characters, so we come into this already knowing what's going to happen to them. You can't just turn this series on and let it flow over you. You have to watch the screen like a hawk or else miss what someone is saying. The problem is that no one is saying anything of such consequence that it deserves your rapt attention to catch every single foreign word being spoken.

The subtitles just seem pretentious. I feel like this could have been done completely in English. It's especially annoying the way the Norwegians keeping going back and forth speaking Norwegian and English amongst themselves. Just pick a language and stick with it.

In summary, the drama lacked tension and the demand that you read subtitles for an uninteresting story is annoying. All that said, like most tiles shown on Masterpiece, the production values are excellent.

This is an interesting story about how stupid and self-destructive people—young people in this case—can be. This movie was released in 1960, but look around and it's clear that the issues it brings up—although in a somewhat overly melodramatic way—continue to be relevant today, and probably always will be as long as human beings exist. The previous reviewer has the right to their negative opinion, but I think they missed the big picture, perhaps they are just too young to know any better.

Besides following a good storyline, it is also well-shot. The cinematography is crisp. And the overall nature of the photography gives the film a fantastic and hermetic quality. It's gritty, and obviously seeks to be realistic, but it has the feel of a fable or a morality tale.