The Other Side of Sunday
by Berit Nesheim
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ann Kristin Rasmussen, Bj?rn Sundquist, Henriette Enges?th, Hildegun Riise, Marie TheisenDirector: Berit Nesheim
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled)
Format: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 103 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2000-07-05
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Fox Lorber
Movie Reviews of The Other Side of Sunday
Movie Review: "Why did God create us so that we must always be asking for his forgiveness?"
Summary: 5 Stars
It's 1959 in Norway, and Maria, daughter of the local priest, is on the cusp of budding young womanhood. But while this lovely film does delve into the awakening of her sexuality, it's even more about her growing awareness of herself as an individual, with thoughts & beliefs of her own. It does so in an understated way, rather than with overwrought melodrama -- the recurring image of the flowing river at twilight is a perfect metaphor here, reflecting Maria's own increasingly restless spirit.
Her only friend & confidante is the older woman who works for the church, Mrs. Tunheim. The two share secrets & laughter, with Mrs. Tunheim revealing herself to be a similar free spirit, one who has been gradually smothered by the pall of shame & guilt & religiosity of her society. Sadly, she feels it's far too late for herself ... but she does her best to encourage & support Maria's own struggling spirit.
Maria's father is strict, but clearly not an evil man. Yet in his adherence to a life-denying worldview, he's created a widening gap between himself & his children. It's heartbreaking to see Maria ask him point blank if he loves her. He takes awhile to answer, and finally responds that of course he does, as God wills. In other words, love as duty & obligation, rather than as something freely given.
Maria's growing rebellion is simple on the surface -- a bit of rock & roll, lipstick, earrings made of milk bottle caps -- but in her private reveries in the forest, her own secret place, she asks difficult questions about the nature of God. And a tragic (but not unexpected) event leads her to make her own choice in a very public way.
There's a good deal of biting humor & painful adolescence here, which anyone remembering the teenaged years will identify with all too ruefully. Maria Theisen is wonderful as Maria, her quiet face filled with emotion. And it's the bittersweet undercurrent that gives the film its real power. Yes, it builds slowly & gradually, but reflects life in doing so -- and the final scene is genuinely life-affirming, in a way that'll leave you smiling. Most highly recommended!
Summary of The Other Side of Sunday
The actual translation of this Oscar-nominated Norwegian film's original title, Sonntagsengel, is "Sunday Angels," which comes close to reflecting the state of innocence and grace from which the young heroine, Maria, attempts to penetrate adult mysteries in defiance of her father, a priest. The story is set in 1959, and Maria is unhappily lagging behind the rock?& roll rebellion of her peers. Her father is severe and arbitrary in his judgments of what's best for her, her mother is in and out of a hospital, and her Sundays are spent in church, allegedly hanging on the old man's every word despite her ever-clarifying atheism. One way out: Find an ally as well as a cautionary figure in a lovely but miserable church servant who wishes she were as free as her true spirit. Directed by Berit Nesheim, the film is most vital during Maria's moments of unspoken yearning and accelerated confidence, giving us a palpable sense of a girl's inner life metamorphosing into womanhood. The rest--family scenes concocted to underscore Dad's own emotional conflicts and tyranny--are much more wooden. --Tom KeoghArt House & International DVD Video
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