This little film was better than expected, reading some of the reviews. If you can stand a simple story about hunters and the hunted, and like a film from the rural medieval ages, this might be a film for you. The film was already sold for cinema showings in 55 countries before it premiered in Norway, after being a success at TIFF in Toronto.
The poster tells a lot, but this is not an action film, it give you a bleak glimpse of everyday life just a few years back in a poor country, where half the population was killed by the black death plague. It's a fictive story, but you buy it, since both acting is good, as well as the technical stuff is well done. Together with grand natural nature mountain landscapes, this is very pleasant to watch.
The girl, Signe, goes through a horrific start in this story, watching her family being slaughtered, before she is captured by the lawless killers. As the title of the film tell, Flukt (which means flight, like in a runaway from hunters) she manages to escape, which is the English title of the movie. And it's not a easy one, this escape.
Director Roar Uthaug (known from Cold prey) knows his work. This is both exciting and pretty. The effects are good, the photography is beautiful and well done. The acting is good, the girls are good, the villain played by Berdal nothing short of frighteningly amazing! Then, what is wrong? Well, really nothing. Things could only be slightly better. Except you'd probably like a more advanced story. I don't think this is the most important, because many still will enjoy this glimpse of the 1300's in rural Norway. It's bleak and grim, but still likable.
Actually another Norwegian film comes to mind, watching this, Veiviseren ("Pathfinder" in original version, not the American remake with the same name) which was an Academy Award nominee back in the eighties. This is better, coming 25 years later. But time has moved on, and Veiviseren wouldn't hold the quality today.
The poster tells a lot, but this is not an action film, it give you a bleak glimpse of everyday life just a few years back in a poor country, where half the population was killed by the black death plague. It's a fictive story, but you buy it, since both acting is good, as well as the technical stuff is well done. Together with grand natural nature mountain landscapes, this is very pleasant to watch.
The girl, Signe, goes through a horrific start in this story, watching her family being slaughtered, before she is captured by the lawless killers. As the title of the film tell, Flukt (which means flight, like in a runaway from hunters) she manages to escape, which is the English title of the movie. And it's not a easy one, this escape.
Director Roar Uthaug (known from Cold prey) knows his work. This is both exciting and pretty. The effects are good, the photography is beautiful and well done. The acting is good, the girls are good, the villain played by Berdal nothing short of frighteningly amazing! Then, what is wrong? Well, really nothing. Things could only be slightly better. Except you'd probably like a more advanced story. I don't think this is the most important, because many still will enjoy this glimpse of the 1300's in rural Norway. It's bleak and grim, but still likable.
Actually another Norwegian film comes to mind, watching this, Veiviseren ("Pathfinder" in original version, not the American remake with the same name) which was an Academy Award nominee back in the eighties. This is better, coming 25 years later. But time has moved on, and Veiviseren wouldn't hold the quality today.