In January 1945, during the 2nd world-war, the Dutch resistance kills a collaborator in the street where the 12 year old Anton Steenwijk lives. The man was shot in front of his neighbors ... See full summary »
Director:
Fons Rademakers
Stars:
Derek de Lint,
Marc van Uchelen,
Monique van de Ven
Three women, all strangers to each other, meet in a dress boutique. One of the three is approached by the male proprietor as she is shoplifting a garment. When he approaches her the other ... See full summary »
Two masters of chess duel each other not only in their game but also in their different ideologies. The veteran Akiva is a Soviet Jew and ferocious Communist, master of his game but also ... See full summary »
Director:
Richard Dembo
Stars:
Michel Piccoli,
Alexandre Arbatt,
Liv Ullmann
Franta Louka is a concert cellist in Soviet-occupied Czechoslovakia, a confirmed bachelor and a lady's man. Having lost his place in the state orchestra, he must make ends meet by playing ... See full summary »
In 1931, a young soldier (Fernando) deserts from the army and falls into a country farm, where he is welcomed by the owner (Manolo) due to his political ideas. Manolo has four daughters (... See full summary »
Director:
Fernando Trueba
Stars:
Fernando Fernán Gómez,
Jorge Sanz,
Penélope Cruz
Based on a true story, after the US withdrawal and the fall of South Vietnam to the communist forces in 1975, many people are sent to reeducation camps. Several desperate boys in one of the camps begin planing their escape.
Director:
Rachid Bouchareb
Stars:
Daniel Guyant,
Gilles Chitlaphone,
Jehan Pagès
The fainthearted cigar trader Ducker keeps himself quiet during World War II. That changes when parachutist Dorbeck lands in his backyard. It turns out the parachutist bears a remarkable ... See full summary »
After a fight the brass band in a small village splits up into two separate bands. They both want to win a contest and will do anything to prevent the other band from winning it.
In an anonymous Dutch village, a sturdy, strong-willed matriarch looks back upon her life, the generations of family and friends gathered around her table, and ponders the cyclical nature of time. Written by
Dawn M. Barclift
For the intelligent and reflective movie-goer, there is much to appreciate about this film. To begin with, the opening narration, although fantastic, is just about the best opening line to any story out there. It immediately draws one into the world of these weird, wonderful people. And that fantastic aspect is maintained throughout the film, like a fairy tale that provides a surprise around every corner. It is a pleasure to be taken into this kind of world for the 100+ minutes of the film.
I strongly disagree with the comments, which the IMDb is currently (as of March 13/04) displaying as being "representative," which states:
"If you hold dear the innocence of children, respect God and those who serve Him, and hold dear what is beautiful in a spiritual sense, you will probably dislike this film."
That's one seriously narrow-minded opinion the IMDb people have selected as being representative. There was a time when the IMDb was more discriminating in what they allowed through to the site. That they allowed *this* posting through *and* chose it to represent the average response to the film is bad a sign; the ship is sailing but there's nobody at the wheel. Reading those comments, one could easily conclude that there are a great deal of sadly unimaginative people out there who just don't get this film.
It isn't surprising that someone with the kind of insular view of the world as expressed in those "representative" comments wouldn't enjoy this film. I never thought of it this way, but I suppose "Antonia's Line" is not for the polite, ultra-conservative, easily-offendable religious folks out there who, it seems, are more apt to feel threatened by fantastic stories like this than to appreciate them for what they are. "Antonia's Line" is the kind of story that give us permission to *imagine* how things might be if they were just slightly eschew. This film is not a picture of the real world, but, like a good fairy tale, provides one an opportunity to reflect on a variety of human conditions and experiences that everyone in some way can relate to.
In this regard, "Antonia's Line" is a wonderfully rich and rewarding film, and a beautifully well-told story.
It should not be dismissed so easily. (And the IMDb ought to get their act together.)
83 of 94 people found this review helpful.
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For the intelligent and reflective movie-goer, there is much to appreciate about this film. To begin with, the opening narration, although fantastic, is just about the best opening line to any story out there. It immediately draws one into the world of these weird, wonderful people. And that fantastic aspect is maintained throughout the film, like a fairy tale that provides a surprise around every corner. It is a pleasure to be taken into this kind of world for the 100+ minutes of the film.
I strongly disagree with the comments, which the IMDb is currently (as of March 13/04) displaying as being "representative," which states:
"If you hold dear the innocence of children, respect God and those who serve Him, and hold dear what is beautiful in a spiritual sense, you will probably dislike this film."
That's one seriously narrow-minded opinion the IMDb people have selected as being representative. There was a time when the IMDb was more discriminating in what they allowed through to the site. That they allowed *this* posting through *and* chose it to represent the average response to the film is bad a sign; the ship is sailing but there's nobody at the wheel. Reading those comments, one could easily conclude that there are a great deal of sadly unimaginative people out there who just don't get this film.
It isn't surprising that someone with the kind of insular view of the world as expressed in those "representative" comments wouldn't enjoy this film. I never thought of it this way, but I suppose "Antonia's Line" is not for the polite, ultra-conservative, easily-offendable religious folks out there who, it seems, are more apt to feel threatened by fantastic stories like this than to appreciate them for what they are. "Antonia's Line" is the kind of story that give us permission to *imagine* how things might be if they were just slightly eschew. This film is not a picture of the real world, but, like a good fairy tale, provides one an opportunity to reflect on a variety of human conditions and experiences that everyone in some way can relate to.
In this regard, "Antonia's Line" is a wonderfully rich and rewarding film, and a beautifully well-told story.
It should not be dismissed so easily. (And the IMDb ought to get their act together.)