Under the Sun (film)

Infobox Film
name = Under the Sun


image_size =
caption =
director = Colin Nutley
producer =
writer = H. E. Bates (novel)
Johanna Hald
starring = Rolf Lassgård
Helena Bergström
Johan Widerberg
music =
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = AB Svensk Filmindustri
released = 1998
runtime = 118 minutes
country = Sweden
language = Swedish
budget =
website =
imdb_id = 0158302

"Under the Sun" (Swedish : "Under solen") is a 1998 Swedish film directed by Colin Nutley. It was nominated for the 1999 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

External links

*imdb title|id=0158302|title=Under the Sun

Under the Sun (Swedish title ‘Under Solen’) is a film adaptation of the short story ‘The Little Farm’ by H.E. Bates. Directed by Colin Nutley, the film stars Rolf Lassgård, Helena Bergstrom (who is married to director Nutley), and Johan Widerberg. Set in Sweden in the mid-1950’s, the film was nominated for the 1999 Academy Award for best foreign film. Distributed by AB Svensk Filmindustri, the film was released in 1998.

Plot:

The film begins with a voiceover quotation of the verse from the Book of Ecclesiates which includes the language, ‘for every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.’

Olof (Rolf Lassgård) lives alone on his family farm after the death of his mother. Olof can't read (in a country such as Sweden which prides itself on its educational system, he is possibly dyslexic, but this is not explained), so his young friend Erik (Johan Widerberg) – who has been a sailor and brags about having known ‘hundreds’ of women -- handles all the business of the farm. One day Olof hires a housekeeper – the beautiful Ellen (Helena Bergstrom), a woman from outside the village. As Ellen takes over more and more of the business of the farm, Erik becomes convinced she is a gold-digger after Olof’s money. (Although he wouldn’t mind a fling with her himself.) Erik and Ellen quarrel, and Erik threatens to ‘find out where you come from and who you are.’ When he does find out that Ellen is married, he threatens Ellen with exposure to drive her away. But in the meantime, Ellen and Olof have fallen in love.

Ellen leaves the farm, leaving behind a note to Olof in which she discloses that she is already married, and apologizes for having ‘betrayed his trust.’ She says she must go back and ‘sort things out’ and closes by saying that she will always love Olof. Olof asks Erik to read the note to him. At first, Erik refuses. When he does read the note, he alters the text by inserting a sentence saying that Erik has repaid some money he borrowed from Olof, and that Ellen has taken the payments for herself. He also omits Ellen’s declaration of love for Olof.

Erik (who in the meantime has seduced a local girl) then announces he is going back to sea, on the Andrea Doria, and departs.

Some time passes, and one day in the fall (the characters are wearing coats and Olof is bird hunting) when Olof is on the road, a passing car stops and lets Ellen out. Ellen is dressed all in black, which implies that her husband has perhaps died. Olof has Ellen’s note with him, and asks that she read it to him, confessing for the first time that he can’t read himself. Ellen reads the note, and asks if Olof wants her back. The two are reunited and the film ends.