Oxen (1991)

In desperation brought on by near-starvation, Helge Roos kills his master's ox and feeds it to his wife and baby daughter. No-one suspects anything until the meat is finished and Helge ... See full summary »

Director:

Sven Nykvist

Writers:

Sven Nykvist, Lasse Summanen

Stars:

Stellan Skarsgård, Ewa Fröling, Erland Josephson

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Helge Roos
Ewa Fröling	...	Elfrida Roos
Erland Josephson	...	Sigvard Silver
Max von Sydow	...	Vicar
Liv Ullmann	...	Maria Gustavsson
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Björn Granath	...	Flyckt
Björn Gustafson	...	Officer in command
Lennart Hjulström	...	Svenning Gustavsson
Helge Jordal	...	Navvy
Agneta Prytz	...	Old Woman
Rikard Wolff	...	Johannes

Storyline

In desperation brought on by near-starvation, Helge Roos kills his master's ox and feeds it to his wife and baby daughter. No-one suspects anything until the meat is finished and Helge tries to sell the hide at a local market. He is spotted by the local vicar and, wracked with guilt, confesses. The vicar assures him that if he gives himself up, he'll be treated leniently, but Helge's sentence is far harsher than anyone predicted...

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Plot Keywords:

director also cinematographer | småland sweden | starvation | 1860s | based on true story

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Taglines:

En film av Sven Nykvist

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Sweden Norway Denmark

Language:

Swedish

Release Date:

22 November 1991 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

The Ox

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 553,367 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Josephson & Nykvist HB, Nordisk Film, Nordisk Film- & TV-Fond

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Ljuset håller mig sällskap (2000)

User Reviews

A sad but beautiful film.

In desperation, Helge Roos (Stellan Skarsgård) kills one of his employer's oxen to feed his starving wife and baby. He soon regrets it. After covering up his crime successfully, he is convinced by the local clergyman (Max von Sydow) to confess, creating unexpected results. The clergyman, with the help of the employer's wife (Liv Ullman), then try to convince the employer, who claims to have been fond of Helge (but obviously not enough to help him) to forgive Helge. The mood is sombre and sad with many very tender moments. Many of the characters, out of desperation, act out of conflicting motives. The screenplay, cinematography, direction and acting are superb.