Hamsun (1996)

Director:

Jan Troell

Writers:

Per Olov Enquist
Madeleine Fant (German script)
(more)

Release Date:

6 August 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | War

Tagline:

They were worshipped as national saints. Hated as traitors. Their marriage spanned from the worst kind of betrayal to the greatest love...

Plot:

Knut Hamsun is Norway's most famous and admired author. Ever since he was young he has hated the English...

Plot Keywords:

Author | Knut Hamsun | German Occupation Of Norway | Treason | Patriotism

Awards:

9 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Max von Sydow	...	Knut Hamsun
Ghita Nørby	...	Marie Hamsun
Anette Hoff	...	Ellinor Hamsun
Gard B. Eidsvold	...	Arild Hamsun (as Gard Eidsvold)
Eindride Eidsvold	...	Tore Hamsun
Åsa Söderling	...	Cecilia Hamsun
Sverre Anker Ousdal	...	Vidkun Quisling
Erik Hivju	...	Dr. Gabriel Langfeldt
Edgar Selge	...	Terboven
Ernst Jacobi	...	Adolf Hitler
Svein Erik Brodal	...	Holmboe
Per Jansen	...	Harald Grieg
Jesper Christensen	...	Otto Dietrich
Johannes Joner	...	Finn Christensen
Finn Schau	...	Doctor
Eva von Hanno	...	Nurse
Jørgen Langhelle	...	Judge Eide
Rut Tellefsen	...	Mrs. Stray
Håkon Rosseland	...	Prosecutor Odd Vinje
Jon Erling Wevling	...	Espen Brodersen
Bjørnar Teigen	...	Young soldier
Liv Steen	...	Mrs. Quisling
Silje Carine Kikut Moen	...	Kitchen girl
Frode Rasmussen	...	Meeting leader
Bjørg Vatle
Erik Kronstad	...	German minister
Per Christensen	...	Publisher's editor
Harald Brenna	...	Steersman
Berto Marklund	...	Gestapo man
Peter Schreck	...	German meeting leader 1
Barbara Johanson	...	Female meeting attender
Edvind Haugan	...	German officer
Gro Solemdal	...	Noerholm's cook
Veslemøy Haslund	...	Woman
Michael Christensen	...	Farm hand
Trond Høvik	...	Journalist
Frank Rudi	...	Prisoner
Svein Gundersen	...	Chauffeur
Peter Cyrus	...	German meeting leader 2
Nina Englund	...	Nurse 2
Karen Høie	...	Deadmistress
Lisette Berg Kilden	...	Girl
Greta Espenes	...	Guard
Rasmus Lange	...	Film projecter
Paal Petter Brantzaeg	...	Doctor's assistant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Turid Mevold	...	Waitress

Directed by
Jan Troell

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Per Olov Enquist
Madeleine Fant		German script
Marie Hamsun		autobiography Regnbuen
Thorkild Hansen		book "Processen mod Hamsun"
Jan Troell

Produced by
Waldemar Bergendahl	....	associate producer
Kerstin Bonnier	....	associate producer
Michael Christensen	....	line producer
Erik Crone	....	producer
Lars Kolvig	....	executive producer
Hans Morten Rubin	....	associate producer
Petter Vennerød	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
Mischa Gavrjusjov
Jan Troell

Film Editing by
Ghita Beckendorff
Jan Troell

Casting by
Liv Sandvik

Production Design by
Karl Júlíusson

Costume Design by
Lotte Dandanell

Makeup Department
John Kindahl	....	makeup artist
June Pålgard	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Finn Gjerdrum	....	production leader
Kaare Storemyr	....	production leader
Kaare Storemyr	....	production supervisor

Sound Department
Martin Saabye Andersen	....	sound editor
Niels Arnt Torp	....	sound post-production
Niels Arnt Torp	....	sound
Morten Degnbol	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Morten Andreassen	....	lighting assistant
Søren Berthelin	....	additional camera operator: Denmark
Birger Bohm	....	additional camera operator: Denmark
Per Danbo	....	gaffer
Alexander Fischerkoesen	....	camera operator: second unit, Germany
Jeppe Jeppesen	....	additional camera operator: Denmark
Thomas Lien	....	clapper loader
Hilde Malme	....	director of photography: "b" camera
Erik Thal-Jantzen	....	additional camera operator: Denmark

Casting Department
Øystein Kjennerud	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Karen Fabritius Gram	....	costume assistant
Runa Fønne	....	costume assistant
Bente Winther-Larsen	....	costume preparation

Editorial Department
Merete Brusendorf	....	assistant editor: Denmark
Søren Jas Larsen	....	assistant editor: Denmark
Sophie Ljungblom	....	assistant editor: Denmark
Michael Frank Nielsen	....	color timer

Other crew
Catho Bach Christensen	....	recording leader 2
Bjarne Bjørndalen	....	assistant to director
Cornelia Boysen	....	assistant to producer
Madeleine Fant	....	script supervisor
Binne Thoresen	....	recording leader

Production Companies

• Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)
• Det Danske Filminstitut
• Merkur Film A/S
• Nordisk Film
• Norsk Filminstitutt
• Polyphon Film-und Fernsehgesellschaft
• SVT Drama
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI)
• TV2 Danmark
• TV2 Norge

Distributors

• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1996) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Divisa Home Video (2011) (Spain) (DVD)
• First Run Features (1997) (USA) (subtitled)
• SF Video (1996) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Walhalla (1998) (Finland)

Other Companies

• Film Finances  completion guarantor

Also Known As:

Runtime:

159 min

Country:

Germany | Norway | Sweden | Denmark

Language:

Norwegian | Swedish | German | Danish | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Denmark:12 | Finland:S | Norway:11 | Sweden:11 | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Norsk Film Studio A/S, Jar, Norway

Company:

Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Voice of Bergman (1997)

An interesting movie about an interesting character in our literature history

First of all I'd like to say that this movie was more exciting than I would have thought it to be in the start. Which is always a plus. In the beginning it was odd to me that Knut Hamsun were played by a Swedish actor and his wife Marie Hamsun were played by a Danish actor. But to tell you the truth, after a while you hardly noticed the language difference. And they could probably not have found a better Knut and Marie for this movie. The movie starts right before the second world war, and the 'action' in it is mostly about the Hamsun family's life during the second world war and afterwards. It was kind sad that the movie started so late in Hamsun's life, seeing that he was around the age of 80 (?) in the war years. Because Knut Hamsun had an utterly exciting life before that, and the most of his writings were written before that. It was confusing to me who his kids were at times, seeing that they weren't introduced to us that well. This is a great movie about an Norwegian author who rather took side with the Germans during the second world war, since he despited the English. Or was he on the German side? this movie takes up this dilemma, which no one yet can be a 100% sure about. But just remember. This movie only takes the Last years of Knut Hamsun's life. You should know a few things about his life before this, if you want to understand the movie properly.