"A Man There Was" (1917) is a remarkable Swedish film based on the poem "Terje Vigen" by Henrik Ibsen.
The verses of the poem form the basis of all title cards throughout the film as the whole story is acted out visually.
It follows the story of Terje Vigen (Victor Sjöström - who also directed the film) whom along with his wife (Bergliot Husberg) and small child, live in a costal village in the south of Norway in the early 19th century.
With villagers starving to death because of the English blockade, Terje makes a decision to take a row boat to Norway to get food supplies for he and his family.
He makes a safe passage and loads his boat with supplies before setting back to Norway. However, en route he is spotted by a British ship whose ruthless Captain (August Falck) puts his men in a row boat, armed, and sends them after him.
A thoroughly exciting and tense chase takes place before Terje is finally captured and taken prisoner on the English vessel.
The Captain turns him over to authorities back in England where he remains in prison for five years.
Upon release in 1814, he returns home where villagers no longer recognise him due to his ragged, aged appearance.
He seeks out his old home but is bewildered to find new dwellers who deliver the devastating news that his wife and child starved to death years ago and are in a pauper grave.
Terje sinks within himself and taking a modest home by the sea, lives a life of solitude as a recluse where he peers out at the mighty ocean where his fate was sealed.
One evening, he spots a yacht in distress out in the rough seas and decides to take his row boat out and attempt to assist the troubled crew.
Arriving at the yacht, he finds the small crew struggling frantically as a woman - actually the Captain's wife - (Edith Erastoff), clutching a child in a blanket, sobs on the deck.
Terje takes the wheel but then recognises the Captain as the man whom had captured him in 1809. Fierce with revenge at heart, he helps the Captain - along with his wife and child - to the row boat and pulls his oars until theu reach a rocky area protruding from the waves.
Here, he reveals to the terrified Captain that he is the man whom had his life destroyed due to the Captain's actions and tells him that he will now avenge.
He announces that the wife shall die first, but when he regards the innocent, bewildered child's face, Terje sees the light and finds forgiveness in his heart.
The family visits him later at his home to reward him for his brave actions.
This is a visually stunning film and is completely void of any of the histrionics usually associated with films of this age.
There is a feel of total naturalness in every performance and the direction is sublime.
The scene where the British crew pursue Terje at sea is very exciting and features very rapid cutaways between the crew, Terje in the sea, gun shots being fired etc. It's ahead of its time by decades.
A wonderful introduction to the quite amazing world of Swedish silent cinema.
The verses of the poem form the basis of all title cards throughout the film as the whole story is acted out visually.
It follows the story of Terje Vigen (Victor Sjöström - who also directed the film) whom along with his wife (Bergliot Husberg) and small child, live in a costal village in the south of Norway in the early 19th century.
With villagers starving to death because of the English blockade, Terje makes a decision to take a row boat to Norway to get food supplies for he and his family.
He makes a safe passage and loads his boat with supplies before setting back to Norway. However, en route he is spotted by a British ship whose ruthless Captain (August Falck) puts his men in a row boat, armed, and sends them after him.
A thoroughly exciting and tense chase takes place before Terje is finally captured and taken prisoner on the English vessel.
The Captain turns him over to authorities back in England where he remains in prison for five years.
Upon release in 1814, he returns home where villagers no longer recognise him due to his ragged, aged appearance.
He seeks out his old home but is bewildered to find new dwellers who deliver the devastating news that his wife and child starved to death years ago and are in a pauper grave.
Terje sinks within himself and taking a modest home by the sea, lives a life of solitude as a recluse where he peers out at the mighty ocean where his fate was sealed.
One evening, he spots a yacht in distress out in the rough seas and decides to take his row boat out and attempt to assist the troubled crew.
Arriving at the yacht, he finds the small crew struggling frantically as a woman - actually the Captain's wife - (Edith Erastoff), clutching a child in a blanket, sobs on the deck.
Terje takes the wheel but then recognises the Captain as the man whom had captured him in 1809. Fierce with revenge at heart, he helps the Captain - along with his wife and child - to the row boat and pulls his oars until theu reach a rocky area protruding from the waves.
Here, he reveals to the terrified Captain that he is the man whom had his life destroyed due to the Captain's actions and tells him that he will now avenge.
He announces that the wife shall die first, but when he regards the innocent, bewildered child's face, Terje sees the light and finds forgiveness in his heart.
The family visits him later at his home to reward him for his brave actions.
This is a visually stunning film and is completely void of any of the histrionics usually associated with films of this age.
There is a feel of total naturalness in every performance and the direction is sublime.
The scene where the British crew pursue Terje at sea is very exciting and features very rapid cutaways between the crew, Terje in the sea, gun shots being fired etc. It's ahead of its time by decades.
A wonderful introduction to the quite amazing world of Swedish silent cinema.