Pelle the Conqueror (1987)

When his wife dies, Lassefar (Max von Sydow) takes his 12-year-old son, Pelle (Pelle Hvenegaard), from their home in Sweden to Denmark in search of a better life. Signing on as laborers at ... See full summary »

Director:

Bille August

Writers:

Martin Andersen Nexø (novel), Bille August (screenplay)

Stars:

Pelle Hvenegaard, Max von Sydow, Erik Paaske

Won 1 Oscar. Another 21 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Pelle Hvenegaard	...	Pelle
Max von Sydow	...	Lassefar
Erik Paaske	...	Forvalter
Björn Granath	...	Erik (as Bjørn Granath)
Astrid Villaume	...	Fru Kongstrup
Axel Strøbye	...	Kongstrup
Troels Asmussen	...	Rud
Kristina Törnqvist	...	Anna
Karen Wegener	...	Madam Olsen
Sofie Gråbøl	...	Jomfru Sine
Lars Simonsen	...	Niels Køller
Buster Larsen	...	Ole Køller
John Wittig	...	Skolelærer
Troels Munk	...	Læge
Nis Bank-Mikkelsen	...	Præst

Storyline

When his wife dies, Lassefar (Max von Sydow) takes his 12-year-old son, Pelle (Pelle Hvenegaard), from their home in Sweden to Denmark in search of a better life. Signing on as laborers at a large farm, father and son undergo numerous trials, including prejudice against immigrants and run-ins with those more powerful than themselves in both the physical and the social sense. Over the course of a year, young Pelle learns what it takes to survive in a harsh and unforgiving world.

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Plot Keywords:

boy | father son relationship | nudity | spanking | farm worker | 

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Taglines:

De trodde att världen skulle bli deras

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

Only the second Danish film to scoop the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, Babette's Feast (1987) having done it the year before.

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Goofs

Although set on the island of Bornholm, the characters speak standard Danish instead of the Bornholmsk dialect, and do not have Bornholm accents either.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Pelle: Father?
Lassefar: Everything's gonna be fine.
Pelle: Tell it again.
Lassefar: This new country we're going to is very different.
Pelle: Talk more about it.
Lassefar: They put raisins in the pork roast and butter on the bread. They put a lot of butter on the bread. Brandy is cheap as water and it is so strong that it knocks you off. But your father can take it, Pelle, because he's strong.
Pelle: And children are free all day.
Lassefar: Yes, Pelle, yes.
Pelle: Tell it again.
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007)

User Reviews

A classic coming of age film.

Pelle the Conquerer is an excellent film for its genre. This, a classic coming of age film, is told in a sincere, brutally honest way. There is a sense of realism here, without a sugar coated happy ending. A child, learning the harsh lessons of life, yet undeterred in his thirst for 'conquering' his own, emerging world. The DVD version is 150 minutes long, this, sadly cut down from the film's original release of 160 minutes. What a shame, in the interest of time, to take away from the directors vision. Max von Sydow turns in another fine performance, but the movie belongs to it's young star. His only film, I am sorry to say. Excellent, inspired....

Details

Country:

Denmark Sweden

Language:

Finnish Scanian Danish Swedish

Release Date:

21 December 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pelle the Conqueror

Filming Locations:

Bregnegården, Tappernøje, Sjælland, Denmark

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$45,985, 25 December 1988

Gross USA:

$2,063,688

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,063,688

Company Credits

Production Co:

Per Holst Filmproduktion, Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

157 min 144 min (English)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1