"Arn" (2010) TV mini-series 2010-

Writer:

Jan Guillou (novel)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

22 March 2010 (Sweden)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Romance | War

Plot:

Arn has to endure so much before he can get the love of his life Cecilie, who has been put away in a monastery.

Plot Keywords:

Middle Ages | Sword And Shield | Medieval Times | Crusade | TV Mini-Series

Cast

Joakim Nätterqvist	...	Arn Magnusson (6 episodes, 2010)
Sofia Helin	...	Cecilia Algotsdotter (6 episodes, 2010)
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Birger Brosa (6 episodes, 2010)
Morgan Alling	...	Eskil Magnusson (4 episodes, 2010)
Gustaf Skarsgård	...	Knut (4 episodes, 2010)
Fanny Risberg	...	Cecilia Blanka (4 episodes, 2010)
Milind Soman	...	Saladin (4 episodes, 2010)
Driss Roukhe	...	Fakhr (4 episodes, 2010)
Bibi Andersson	...	Moder Rikissa (3 episodes, 2010)
Nicholas Boulton	...	Gerard De Ridefort (3 episodes, 2010)
Anders Baasmo Christiansen	...	Harald Øysteinsson (3 episodes, 2010)
Frank Sieckel	...	Sigfried De Turenne (3 episodes, 2010)
Göran Ragnerstam	...	Biskop Erland (3 episodes, 2010)
Annika Hallin	...	Syster Leonore (3 episodes, 2010)

Series Directed by
Peter Flinth		(6 episodes, 2010)

Series Writing credits
Hans Gunnarsson		(6 episodes, 2010)
Jan Guillou		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Peter Bengtsson	....	post-production producer (6 episodes, 2010)
Waldemar Bergendahl	....	producer (6 episodes, 2010)
Hans Lönnerheden	....	producer: Morocco (6 episodes, 2010)
Johan Mardell	....	executive producer (6 episodes, 2010)
Jan Marnell	....	producer: Morocco (6 episodes, 2010)
Leif Mohlin	....	producer: Sweden (6 episodes, 2010)
Niva Westlin	....	executive producer (6 episodes, 2010)
Mark Foligno	....	co-producer (unknown episodes)
Jarkko Hentula	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Laura Julian	....	line producer (unknown episodes)
Karoline Leth	....	co-producer (unknown episodes)
Nina Lyng	....	co-producer (unknown episodes)
Alistair MacLean-Clark	....	producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Tuomas Kantelinen		(6 episodes, 2010)

Series Cinematography by
Eric Kress		(6 episodes, 2010)

Series Film Editing by
Sebastian Amundsen		(6 episodes, 2010)
Olivier Bugge Coutté		(unknown episodes)
Anders Villadsen		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Design by
Anna Asp		(6 episodes, 2010)

Series Art Direction by
Linda Janson		(6 episodes, 2010)

Series Costume Design by
Kicki Ilander		(6 episodes, 2010)

Series Makeup Department
Jenny Fred	....	makeup artist (6 episodes, 2010)
Love Larson	....	makeup artist (6 episodes, 2010)
Eva Von Bahr	....	makeup designer (6 episodes, 2010)

Series Production Management
Madeleine Ekman	....	production manager (6 episodes, 2010)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mikael Hansson	....	assistant director (6 episodes, 2010)
Håkan Linder	....	first assistant director (unknown episodes, 2010)
Guy Travers	....	first assistant director (unknown episodes, 2010)

Series Art Department
Gilles Balabaud	....	stand-by props (6 episodes, 2010)
Paul Gustavsson	....	property master (6 episodes, 2010)
Thomas Nilsson	....	art department coordinator (6 episodes, 2010)
Johan Sjölin	....	construction coordinator (6 episodes, 2010)
Henrik Tamm	....	concept designer (6 episodes, 2010)
Lars Rickard Wiren	....	stand-by props (6 episodes, 2010)
Jossa Elmqvist	....	painter (unknown episodes, 2010)
Karin Gry	....	props (unknown episodes, 2010)
Janne Hverven	....	carpenter (unknown episodes, 2010)
Calle Sjölin	....	carpenter / stand-by props (unknown episodes, 2010)

Series Sound Department
Stefan Ljungberg	....	sound recordist (6 episodes, 2010)
Gábor Pasztor	....	sound re-recording mixer (6 episodes, 2010)
Bo Persson	....	sound (6 episodes, 2010)
Carl Edström	....	sound designer (unknown episodes, 2010)

Series Visual Effects by
Tor-Bjorn Olsson	....	visual effects supervisor (6 episodes, 2010)
Daniel Nielsen	....	visual effects (unknown episodes, 2010)

Series Stunts
Kimmo Rajala	....	stunt coordinator (6 episodes, 2010)
Cedric Proust	....	stunt coordinator (unknown episodes, 2010)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Martin Bergenström	....	key grip (6 episodes, 2010)
Ville Penttilä	....	gaffer (6 episodes, 2010)
Daniel Wannberg	....	first assistant camera (6 episodes, 2010)
Erik Aavatsmark	....	still photographer (unknown episodes, 2010)

Series Casting Department
Renate Fryklund	....	casting (6 episodes, 2010)
Emma Kihlberg	....	casting (6 episodes, 2010)
Tusse Lande	....	casting (6 episodes, 2010)
Rikard Andersson	....	extras casting assistant (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Karin Berglund	....	wardrobe (6 episodes, 2010)
Nichola Richard	....	wardrobe (6 episodes, 2010)

Series Editorial Department
Linda Jildmalm	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes, 2010)

Series Music Department
Erik Guldager	....	music designer (6 episodes, 2010)

Series Other crew
Annika Appelin	....	dialogue director / script supervisor (6 episodes, 2010)
Catti Edfeldt	....	director: children (6 episodes, 2010)
Tobias Åström	....	production accountant (unknown episodes, 2010)

Production Companies

• AMC Pictures
• Arion Communications Ltd. (co-production)
• Dagsljus Filmequipment (co-production)
• Danmarks Radio (DR) (co-production)
• Europa Film Sound Production (co-production)
• Film i Väst (co-production)
• Molinare Studio
• SF Norge A/S (co-production)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (co-production)
• TV4 Sweden (co-production)

Distributors

• Cinemax (2008) (Russia) (all media) (CIS)
• E1 Entertainment
• TV4 Sweden (2010) (Sweden) (TV)

Special Effects

• Panorama film & teatereffekter (2010)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence

Runtime:

264 min (6 parts)

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #46104)

Company:

AMC Pictures

Movie Connections:

Edited from Arn: The Kingdom at the End of the Road (2008)

a worthy effort

The miniseries reviewed here is actually a compilation of two feature length movies, which were very successful in Scandanavia, and as a result of that success, were shown on television in the form of a six-part miniseries. But the running time is pretty close to identical. The two films, minus opening and closing credits, run about 257 minutes; each episode (there are six) runs about 43 minutes, minus opening and closing credits, for a total of 258 minutes. So the reason it looks like a feature film is because it IS a feature film.

As to the content, it's a love story, but the lovers are divided by war and circumstance, so the bulk of it is devoted to how they cope even though they are divided. I thought the two leads had marvelous rapport (the two actors actually were in drama school together, and have acted together many times, on film and on stage), and I found their devotion to one another to be wholly believable. Of course, you have to remember that these were very different times. As the author of the original novels has said, this was an age of faith, and that extended to the faith that the lovers had in each other. Ours is a secular age, and so in order to fully enjoy the films, you have to be able to make a leap of faith, to believe that two people could love each other that much. I guess I'm a sucker for a good romance.

But don't go to this series or film expecting a re-run of "Kingdom of Heaven"; it's set in the same time and place, and covers some of the same historical events. The tone and feeling of the film, however, is very different. If it is an epic, and I'm not sure it is or was ever intended to be, it is what might be called an intimate epic. As with "Dr Zhivago," to some extent, history is the enemy of these two, and it constitutes a force that is very difficult to deal with. I can say no more without spoilers, but rest assured, all is not gloom and doom for these two.