Pelle The Conqueror [1988] | ![Pelle The Conqueror [1988]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/411ZECHXFJL._SL75_.jpg)
 enlarge | Director: Bille August
Actors: Pelle Hvenegaard, Max Von Sydow, Erik Paaske, Björn Granath, Astrid Villaume
Studio: Digital Entertainment Ltd
Category: Video
List Price: £12.99
Buy New: £4.95
You Save: £8.04 (62%)
New (4) Used (4) Collectible (2) from £1.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 20850
Format: Dolby, Dubbed, Pal, Surround Sound
Languages: Danish (Original Language), Swedish (Original Language), English (Dubbed)
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Media: VHS Tape
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 150
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
UPC: 780063359436
EAN: 5017633272839
ASIN: B00004RCGL
Theatrical Release Date: December 21, 1988
Release Date: April 3, 2000
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new sealed. All orders are despatched from mainland UK within 48hrs - usually same day.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
Pelle the Conqueror is a Scandinavian drama which won the 1988 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film and a Best Actor nomination for Max (The Exorcist) Von Sydow. Set at the end of the 19th century, it tells of a widowed Swedish farmer who goes looking for a better life in Denmark with his young son, Pelle (a fine Pelle Hvenegaard). Much like Life is Beautiful (1998) the heart of the film is the bond between father and son and their dreams for a better world. Although the photography brings an austere beauty to the bleak coastlands of Denmark, the story, a 150-minute intimate epic, is intense and harrowing; the antithesis of the feel-good father-son relationship of a movie like Billy Elliot.On the DVD: Unfortunately, rather than the subtitles of the cinema release, this DVD is dubbed for the American market, which significantly diminishes the performances and undermines the emotional impact. This is particularly regrettable given that both subtitled and dubbed versions could exist on the same disc. The only feature is a Photo Library of full-frame screen-grabs. The stated ratio of 1:1.85 is incorrect, the film being cropped from the original cinema 1:1.66 to 4:3 TV ratio. The sound is unremarkable stereo. The picture, transferred from an already imperfect print, is crawling with grain and littered with compression artefacts, making it no better than many videos. Without even a booklet, this release does no justice to a landmark film. --Gary S. Dalkin
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
 Excellent - but not Hollywood May 2, 2005
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
For those of you who want to watch a real film and not just Hollywood make believe, this is an excellent film. It shows real people and real lives, not just happy endings. It is truly wonderful
 No Dubbing Wouldn't Have Saved Movie August 24, 2001
2 out of 38 found this review helpful
I don't think the movie would have been better if it weren't dubbed. The problem with this movie is that it just boring as hell and it drags on and on. The story never seems to take off. The father is just terrible. How naieve can you possibly be, you keep wondering, even for Scandinavia a century ago. I didn't enjoy this movie at all. There's a couple of nice shots of the scenery, but that's all.
don't buy dubbed movies June 18, 2001
26 out of 28 found this review helpful
This superlative film has been rendered unwatchable as a result of having been dubbed into American: all the European cultural resonance is lost and the film becomes meaningless. AVOID THIS DVD. (If you want a copy, you can have mine free - e-mail your address)
 A bitter sweet tale set in Denmark. September 15, 2000
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
This video tells a truly bitter sweet story of a Swedish boy born to aged parents, moving to Denmark with his poor old father to look for work. It gives us an insight as to how Swedes were treated by Danish people in the past and their hardships. Warm, insightful, and often painful to watch. A real gem.
Not subtitled August 15, 2000
8 out of 14 found this review helpful
This beautiful Danish film is even more beautiful on DVD. It is only a pity it is not subtitled. It is quite strange to watch Max von Sydow talking in English (this edition is made especially for the Academy Award). For non-speaking English viewers it is difficult to understand the words. The images are superb and the actors all play well.
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