JERUSALEM
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 8.5 Alternative Scale: ***1/2 out of ****
Sweden, 1996 U.S. Release Date: variable; Spring 1997 (limited) Running Length: 2:48 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Profanity, violence, sensuality) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Cast: Ulf Friberg, Maria Bonnevie, Pernilla August, Reine Brynolfsson, Sven-Bertil Taube, Lena Endre, Bjorn Granath, Jan Mybrand, Max von Sydow, Olympia Dukakis Director: Bille August Producer: Ingrid Dahlberg Screenplay: Bille August based on the novel by Selma Lagerlof Cinematography: Jorgen Persson Music: Stefan Nilsson U.S. Distributor: First Look Pictures In Swedish with subtitles
When Bille August searches for a new project, he rarely looks for something that isn't a challenge. His ambitious films have included the acclaimed PELLE THE CONQUEROR (based on the novel by Martin Andersen Nexo), THE BEST INTENTIONS (from a script by the legendary Ingmar Bergman), THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS (based on the novel by Isabel Allende), and SMILLA'S SENSE OF SNOW (based on the novel by Peter Hoeg). In some ways, August's JERUSALEM (which he actually completed before SMILLA'S SENSE OF SNOW, although it's only now receiving U.S. distribution) is like an cross between Lars von Trier's BREAKING THE WAVES and something by Bergman. Set against a backdrop that the great Swedish director would find familiar, JERUSALEM takes a sober, unflinching look at the issues of faith and piety -- subjects that von Trier tackled in his controversial film.
JERUSALEM is a dramatically rich and rewarding motion picture featuring a number of deeply-realized characters. August uses his canvas to explore not only issues of faith and spirituality, but more human matters, such as betrayal, lust, and longing. As is often the case with movies possessing great melodramatic sweep, the gap between success and failure is a narrow one; August bridges it skillfully by getting us to empathize with several key characters. The resulting rapport is vital to our appreciation of the film.
Although the events of JERUSALEM take place one-hundred years ago, at the end of the nineteenth century, they are relevant today, when an increasing number of fringe religious groups are making the news. One of many things that this film excels at is examining the development of a cult, both from an internal and an external perspective. August is careful to remain non-judgmental in his approach to the subject, and this results in a balanced, cliche-free exploration of how fringe sects are born and why apparently well-adjusted men and women join them.
JERUSALEM opens in a small Swedish mountain village where Christian fundamentalism is the rule of life. We are introduced to the protagonists as children, then watch them grow quickly into adulthood. There's Ingmar (Ulf Friberg), the taciturn, hard-working, orphan son of the village hero, and Gertrud (Maria Bonnevie), the daughter of one of the village's most pious residents. Ingmar is closer to Gertrud than he is to his own sister, Karin (Pernilla August), who is a decade older and married. Once Ingmar is of age, he decides that he wants to marry Gertrud, but, to do so, he must head north and work at a sawmill to earn enough money to support a family. He is gone for a long time, and Gertrud begins to doubt if he will ever return for her.
Meanwhile, a charismatic stranger named Hellgum (Sven-Bertil Taube) arrives in the village, performing apparent miracles to go with his fire-and-brimstone doctrine. In a short time, he has amassed a loyal following who separate themselves from the rest of the townspeople, wanting to avoid contamination. Karin and her husband become "Hellgumists", and Gertrud is about to join when Ingmar returns and declares his love for her. Shortly thereafter, Hellgum departs for Jerusalem, where he intends to set up a paradise on earth for his followers, who are to wait a short while then come after him.
JERUSALEM works on two levels -- first, as a dissection of the kind of religious behavior that can be regarded as extreme, and, secondly, as an exploration of how human passion can ebb and flow and turn bitter in the face of "divine" pressure. The film uses two distinct points-of- view -- that of Ingmar, the logical, rational thinker, and that of Gertrud, who acts from the heart. During the course of the movie, both undergo traumatic transformations as they cope with who they are, what they believe, and how powerfully capable they are of hurting each other. In the end, JERUSALEM pursues redemption, but not in a traditional sense.
In concert, the actors and August do marvelous jobs of letting us into the minds of the characters. We don't see the Hellgumists as fanatics; instead, we understand why they believe as they do. The same is true of Ingmar, who commits at least one vile act in his quest to obtain a lifelong goal. In fact, there are several minor characters who become far more three-dimensional than the protagonists in countless lesser films. Give credit to Pernilla August (the director's wife, who previously appeared in his THE BEST INTENTIONS), Ulf Friberg, Sven- Bertil Taube, and especially Maria Bonnevie, whose tortured portrayal of Gertrud is one of JERUSALEM's strengths. Also worthy of note is Lena Endre, whose role as Barbro earned her a Swedish Best Supporting Actress award. Anyone looking for a familiar face will recognize that both Max von Sydow and Olympia Dukakis have small roles.
JERUSALEM has a few flaws that keep it from becoming a truly transcendent three hours. The beginning and, to a lesser extent, the ending are erratically paced. This could be the result of the heavy editing that was necessary to condense a Swedish TV miniseries into a theatrical release of manageable length. Additionally, there are times when the storyline strays a little too deeply into the realm of melodrama. Overall, however, these are minor blemishes upon an otherwise remarkable and thought-provoking motion picture which rewards viewers with an experience that is both emotionally and intellectually enriching.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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