THE OUTLAW AND HIS WIFE (1917) B/W "silent" 74m dir: Victor Sjostrom

w/Victor Sjostrom, Edith Erastoff, John Ekman, Nils Arehn, Jenny Tschernichin-Larsson

A classic of the Swedish "silent" cinema.

From Georges Sadoul's Dictionary of Films :

"In Iceland in the mid-19th century, Berg-Ejvind (Sjostrom), outlawed for stealing sheep, is given work on a farm by a rich widow, Halla (Erastoff), who becomes his mistress. The local Baliff (Arehn) grows jealous and tries to arrest Berg-Ejvind, but he flees to the mountains where he is joined by Halla. ...

"'The most beautiful film in the world' according to Louis Delluc, who added, 'Sjostrom has directed it with a stylistic breadth that needs no comment. He has shown himself to be a commanding and humane actor, just as his partner and a third actor: the countryside.'

"The mountains, a geyser, the mountain stream ..., the snow ..., are the real characters in this drama. Its story is as spare as the sets for the family farm, simply and effectively designed by Axel Esbensen. It was with this film in mind (Sjostrom's best with The Wind ) that Moussinac wrote in 1924: 'The decor is used with singular power to accentuate the character of a scene, explain and complete a gesture or an expression, or reveal the dramatic psychology; choosing their "natural depths" with the greatest care, using the creative force of the light in the studios with a rare understanding, the Swedes leave nothing to chance. They consider carefully and if they let themselves be carried away, they know when to stop.'"