Pelle the Conqueror

Long but rewarding, the Danish-Swedish Pelle the Conqueror is based on the early passages of Martin Andersen Nexoe's four-volume novel. Pelle ( Pelle Hvengaard ) is the son of a 19th-century Swedish farmer ( Max Von Sydow ). Seeking escape from their poverty-stricken surroundings, father and son emigrate to Denmark. Upon arrival, however, they are treated like indentured servants, leading to a profound ideological turnaround for the impressionable Pelle. In the original novel, Pelle ended up embracing Communism. Nexo's political overtones are soft-pedalled in the film, which concentrates on the close, indestructable relationship between Pelle and his father. Adapted for the screen by Bille August , Pelle the Conqueror won the 1988 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. — Hal Erickson