Gymnaslærer Pedersen (2006)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Hans Petter Moland

Writers:

Hans Petter Blad (screenplay)
Dag Solstad (book)

Release Date:

24 February 2006 (Norway)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The Rebellion Has Started!

Plot:

A drama focused on Norwegian society in the 1970s, an era dominated by Marxism and Leninism. |

Plot Keywords:

1970s | Marxism | Nudity | Political Activist | Communist

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Kristoffer Joner	...	Gymnaslærer Knut Pedersen
Ane Dahl Torp	...	Nina Skåtøy
Anne Ryg	...	Lise Tanner
Jan Gunnar Røise	...	Werner Ludal
Stig Henrik Hoff	...	Jan Klåstad
Fridtjov Såheim	...	Gunnar Bøe
Silje Torp Færavaag	...	Anne Britt Bru
Jon Øigarden	...	Harald Tholfsen
Elin Sogn	...	Unni Langmoen
Henriette Steenstrup	...	Fru Bøe
Robert Skjærstad	...	Unni Langmoens man
Linn Skåber	...	Rektor
Eli Anne Linnestad	...	Gerd Tangen
Ståle Rue	...	Tor
Ingrid Bolsø Berdal	...	Distriktrepresentant

Also Known As:

Comrade Pedersen (International: English title)
Pedersen: High-School Teacher (International: English title)

Runtime:

Norway:123 min

Country:

Norway

Language:

Norwegian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Norway:11 | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-15

Company:

Motlys

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In (at least) two scenes Pedersen is walking up a steep hill in Larvik. In the harbor behind him you clearly see a funnel marked with the Colorline Logo. This company was established 20 years after the movie took place.

Quotes:

Friend of Pedersen (not party member): Armed revolution
[in Norway]
Friend of Pedersen (not party member): ? Are you serious?
Gymnaslærer Pedersen: Yeah....It's going to be great fun!

Soundtrack:

I Feel Free

Blind love makes Pedersen the last standing communist

A bit hard to review this one. As a reaction to USAs involvement in Vietnam, growing capitalism and a rather naive belief in "Power to the people", the Norwegian party AKP-ML was started in 1972. (Loosely translated it means "the Workers CommunistParty - MarxistLeninism ,WCP-ML) They believed all people should be equal and the path to that goal would be achieved through Armed Forces.

--

This movie is about high-school teacher Pedersen and his arrival to a small Norwegian industrial town. The movie starts about him telling us that he was here to achieve his goal: A wife, a child and a home.

This is of course not enough for him. After getting married and moving into his dream home he is drawn to communism through one of his students. When the student moves away to study at the university, Pedersen loses his lighthouse; very soon to be replaced, and led, by another, even brighter star: Nina Skaatoey. They are almost immediately drawn into a very intense love-affair.

After a while he has lost both his wife and Nina. And this is what the movie is about. His intense dream and wishes of getting together again, with the love of his life Nina, makes Pedersen the last standing communist. And he was (in my view) never even a real one.

The movie, almost two hours long, is boring at first. The intense love-scenes and how were told, again and again, that Pedersen gets communist propaganda visions, each time he is involved with these people, is way to over-told. It's when things starts to fail, and the naivety of AKP-MLs dreams overshadows the reality (and pure logic) this movie starts to get interesting.

The last part, where the whole thing is smoldering apart, is clearly the best. (And what makes my score justified).Nina is falling apart and Ane Dahl Torp is acting this breakdown in such a painful way, its hard to witness. Pedersens loyalty is just as well drawn out by Kristoffer Joner. This is also excellent done.

All in all, if you can make it through the first half, this is a movie well worth seeing.