IN A NUTSHELL:
As an author of 31 books, I ate up this movie. Every writer secretly wishes for some kind of patron who will support them in their art and believe in their talent. The movie asks the question of all creators: What would you give...or give up...for such an opportunity to achieve greatness?
It's 1948 and 63-year-old "Out of Africa" author Karen Blixen (pen name: Isak Dinesen) is a lonely literary sensation devastated by syphilis and mourning her lost love, until she meets talented 30-year-old poet Thorkild Bjørnvig. She offers him a Faustian bargain and promises him stardom if he will obey her unconditionally. As her demands become more and more pernicious, Thorkild must choose between Blixen's promise of fame or his family. From director Bille August (Pelle the Conqueror) comes this sterling adaptation of Bjørnvig's bestselling memoir.
The director, Billie August, is a Danish Academy Award-winning film and television director. In the notes to the press that were sent to me, he stated, "Karen Blixen's authorship has always fascinated me, and likewise her charismatic, self-promoting and extravagant personality, especially expressed in her spectacular and odd relation to the young, promising and ambitious poet Thorkild Bjornvig." They created a pact in real life. The goal was to make Thorkild a better writer. The film attempts to show that we have an obligation to live out our potential. Everyone has a special gift and we can only be redeemed as human beings when we live our potential.
THINGS I LIKED:
Because this is a Danish film, I had never seen any of the actors before. They were all fantastic. Birthe Neumann does an excellent job as the eccentric author Karen Blixen. I'd love to see an English language remake of this movie starring Helen Mirren as Karen Blixen. Don't you think that would be fantastic?
Simon Bennebjerg plays the young poet Thorkild Bjornvig. In an English remake, I might cast George MacKay in this role. What do you think? I love his innocent-looking face and thought he was perfect in the recent Netflix WWII drama Munich: The Edge of War.
Karen Blixen recognized Thorkild Bjornvig's talent and presented the idea of a pact. She described a pact to him as a holy, magical promise. She promises him success and protection as she pushes him to be a great writer but she also requires him to make certain sacrifices to get him to tap into his creativity, such as spending large amounts of time away from his family. Do you think it would be worth it to lose your family if you were guaranteed greatness in your field or at your job? She calls him "Magister", which means "master" of arts in Danish, to give him an elevated perception of himself and skills. I loved that aspect of her approach because we tend to rise up to the level in which we see our future selves, don't you think?
Technically made, the film is beautiful to look at. The lighting and color palettes were especially good, symbolically showing us when and where Karen Blixen's influence was the strongest.
I love that Thorkild and his young wife had a son named Bo because that's my youngest son's name too!
We get to travel to Denmark and Germany in this movie. One of my sons is dating a lovely girl from Denmark, so it was fun for me to hear the film in her native tongue. A few years ago, I went to Denmark and fell in love with the charm of the country and its people. They teach and live a concept called "hygge", which is the essence of coziness. It's a word that magically combines the feelings of cuddling up on a couch under a warm blanket while wearing your favorite fuzzy socks, sitting next to a crackling fire, all while drinking hot chocolate. That's hygge. Such a charming word.
It's fascinating to look at who needs whom the most.
They say that the best writers are those who have experienced pain in their lives because those intense feelings add depth to writing. I believe that's true. One of the things Karen Blixen wanted to give Thorkgild was deeper and varied experiences so that he could become a great poet.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:
Before the movie starts, the screen scrolls words that you have to read to understand the setting and background information. The words fly by fast, so read quickly!
For a movie about great storytellers, the film moves quite slowly with very little tension. The tension is internal turmoil.
While the film is very dramatic, it's definitely more of a study of character than a fast-moving story with lots of action. In other words, this won't be everyone's cup of tea.
TIPS FOR PARENTS:
Young kids will be completely bored.
You have to read subtitles because Danish is spoken entirely.
Talk of Syphilis and Megalomania
An affair is known, although there are no scenes that illustrate any physical relations
THEMES:
"Never become afraid."
"Raise your gaze."
Longing
Sacrifices and the price you're willing to pay for greatness
Trust
Infidelity
Pain
Guilt
Marriage
Experiencing life's profound thoughts and feelings
The purpose of a journey is to learn, grow, and change.
"Is love a feeling or wanting to do something for someone?"
l.
