Customer Reviews

Antonia's Line [VHS]

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I remember seeing this movie in the theatre, first run, knowing nothing about what was to come. I remember thinking as I left, how it was movies like this that made the movies so special. How a story could be so simply, and beautifully told.

There is nothing usual in the world of Antonia. A single mother, she leaves the city with her young daughter to return to the small hamlet that was once her home. It is the time of her mother's death, and Antonia will take over the operation of the now-decrepit farm. She is ill equipped to run a farm at face, yet her force of will and purity of spirit make no task impossible. She is a strong woman, a good woman. She does what has to be done, and uses or finds the necessary tools amongst the chaos at hand.

I believe the English title Antonia's Line (rather than Antonia) refers to the line of people she gathers through her life. This extended family grows from the most unlikely sources. They feast together outdoors weekly at one long table, and as the movie progresses, the size of the table grows and grows to accommodate each and every new member in Antonia's Line.

Antonia is a tale of tales, some mysterious and wonderful, some very basic and also wonderful. And throughout the line grows as Antonia's extended family encompasses more and more endearing souls.

I was hardly surprised when Antonia won a well-deserved Oscar for Best Foreign Film.

Every time I see this film I find I do not tire of it, and every time I see it I come away feeling better.

This review refers to the Fox Lorber World Class Cinema Collection(letterboxed)DVD edition of "Antonia's Line"....

"Enough is Enough..."...says an old woman rising from her bed as she prepares for her last day on earth. Today will be the day she will die, we find out as the film opens. As Antonia goes about her chores and gathers her family around her, we are treated to a wonderful life affirming tale, and look back at her rich and full life.

This 1995 Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Film(Netherlands) will charm your socks off.It's a comic, sweet, dramatic and uplifting story that I didn't want to end, and wanted to watch it again immediatley.Written and Directed by Marleen Gorris, you'll be captivated by this story, the characters and the beauty of the Dutch countryside from the opening frame to the very last.

Antonia's(Willeke van Ammelrooy)story starts at about mid-life. She is returning with her daughter, to her small village for the funeral of her mother.The time is just post WWII and Antonia is a widow who is her own woman. She is on her own,with an independent nature and lots of heart.As the years pass, Antonia's line of charming and fascinating family members grow from her own bloodline and the townspeople that just couldn't help but be drawn to her.Each is special in their own way and is very much a part of Antonia's life.They are characters that will have smiling and will draw you into their stories.

This Letterboxed DVD presents a fabulous picture and excellent sound(Stereo surround). The subtitles are all in the black bar area(which is at the bottom of the picture only)and are clear and distinct. There are filmographies, some production credits and a trailer.
There are two editions sold, if you want the letterboxed be sure to look for one that has the "World Class Cinema" written next to the image on the front.

A wonderful film that shines the light on family and friendship, but not one for the whole family. There are several scenes with strong sexual content.

Go Dutch Treat....and enjoy.....Laurie

more foreign films recommended:
Three Colors Trilogy (Red / White / Blue) [Import](All-region)(Remastered)

La Passante [VHS]

The Things of Life [Region 2]

This is one of those exquisite films that too many people will overlook because (1) it's a foreign film with English subtitles, and (2) the title and packaging make it look too esoteric. Personally I probably wouldn't have even seen this movie had I not come across it in our local library's nascent DVD collection, from which I was able to check it out for free. I'm so glad I did. "Antonia's Line" was one of the most sweet yet cerebral films I've seen in a long time. It's a 40-odd year "slice o' life" revolving around Antonia, a woman who returns to her little Dutch village, daughter in tow, after the end of World War II. As the years go by, Antonia gathers together a slowly growing extended family that includes some very colorful characters. There are moments of humor, surrealism, and sweet love ... but also moments of ugliness and sadness. Gay audiences will enjoy the matter-of-fact portrayal of a Lesbian couple, and feminists will enjoy the supreme strength of character of Antonia herself. Social conservatives would be advised to look elsewhere; they simply won't understand. When this little film simply ENDED in the way it must, I cried and cried. "Antonia's Line" is a very sweet, sublime film about the cycles of life. It's somewhat slow going at first, but the payoff is rich indeed.

Antonia and her daughter return to their Dutch village after World War II to bury Antonia's mother. The first hint that this is an unconventionial movie is when the corpse sits up and belts out "My Blue Heaven". This movie combines magical realism in a plot of seriousness and intent. Characters with names like Loony Lips, Crooked Finger, and Mad Madonna come and go over the course of the next 50 years as Antonia's extended family grows. After all, this is the story of Antonia's line, or lineage, and an exploration of the mysteries of life and of death.

This is a film in which males are relegated to second-citizen status because the women are just so darn capable and able to mostly get along without men. They do not define themselves through men nor do they depend on them.

The film perfectly captures the extraordinary spirit and the strength of the mother-daughter bond. The women of Antonia's line are strong and loving, good and kind, strong yet gentle. The acting in this film is wonderful....it is a movie I hated to see end.

Whilst the film itself is great, its let down by the quality of this DVD release. Its not anamorphic, and even for non-anamorphic the transfer is only fair. Ontop the this, the subtitles are built-in to the image, it doesnt use the DVD's built in subtitles feature.

I was a bit disapointed compared to the fantastic job that was done releasing Babettes Feast on DVD.

Antonia's line is an amazing film about four generations of strong, independent women. While most movies about single mothers stereotype them in both positive and negative ways, Antonia's Line is different. Antonia moves back to the dutch countryside after being away for twenty years. She has to face many difficulties in the town, yet through it all she is a pillar of strength. She knows what she wants, and she acts upon it, regardless of what people think of her. She passes on these same views to her daughter. Antonia's line seems to critique the normal stereotypes by portraying Antonia as a foil to them. Her honesty, and disregard for public opinion sets her apart. The film also works to intersect Antonia's race, culture, gender and class in an amazing web that shapes her character. The influence of Antonia's race is clear in the way that she acts around the people of the town. She explains to her daughter who each person is, and why they act the way that they do. She knows how to handle even the most obnoxious of the town memebers. She is every bit a women, yet she exhaults in her femininity rather than hiding behind it. She makes her opinions and ideas well known. She is not afraid of the judgement that may accompany her views. She entertains suitors, while maintaining an honest attitude about exactly what she wants. She is able to accept her family for who they are without exception. Antonia's Line is a wonderful story with fully developed characters. Antonia and her family portray the true essence of femininity better than any other characters I have seen. Do not let the subtitles stop you. This film is a must see.

This is an impressive, thought-provoking and well directed (and narrated) movie.
It transcends four generations, numerous seasons and mingles philosophy, religion, sexuality, violence and family/social relationships into an interesting fare. The story revolves around Antonia and her daughter Danielle who migrate to a remote Dutch village after the end of the World War. Their interaction with the village folks, neighbors and the ensuing social bond is the primary premise of the movie.
Antonia is a strong, but humble person who is a picture of strength and fortitude. She is the matriarch of the family and her presence inspires strength and comfort in all the people around her. She lived and died gracefully. Interestingly, she chooses her time to die. This is a very thought provoking point: Can we mortal humans ever know the right time to die? Should the selection of the time to die be controlled by us or by nature?
Danielle is a free spirited and independent woman who chooses to raise a daughter without a father. This brings forth an interesting point about relationships. Do we need to bond with other people to lead a real meaningful life? Do we need presence of other people in our lives to be complete ourselves?
Another interesting character is called "Crooked Finger", who is extremely erudite (physics and mathematics) and a philosopher at heart. He is always grappling with conundrums like "Why are we born?", "Why do people choose to live a life of misery instead of opting for death?" and many others. He eventually puts an end to his own misery by committing suicide.
There are numerous other interesting characters in the movie and all of them have their own little interesting stories. The characters seem a little contrived, but fit well into the overall premise of the movie.
The movie is well layered with many thought provoking themes and questions. It isn't thoroughly entertaining, but watchable. Well worthy of the awards it has bagged.

A beautiful movie that shows many difficult subjects -- rape, suicide, incest, intolerance, death -- and how one woman's strength helps her and "her line" to transcend them. I laughed at points when I least expected to find humour, and wept at others.

<Antonia's Line> demonstrates that we can create family that is made up of not only our flesh and blood, but also of those whom we help and whom we allow to help us.

What exactly is it that we learn as we grow older, grow up, mature, age?

The answer is at the heart of this great story, and will save you years of living to learn by leaning back and watching the couple of hours that this movie will take over your heart, mind and soul.
You think that's an exagerration?
This movie will become one of your favorites of all time.

Antonia's Line directed by Marleen Gorris depicts the women characters as strong women who do not care about what might be lacking in their lives. Each of the characters is their own person and no one could make them feel any less. This film helps to illustrate to young women that they can reject the silly myth of motherhood and as long as they are their own person, they do not need to be thinking of themselves as what is wrong with them.

Antonia's Line, directed by Marleen Gorris, does not accept the stereotypes of ideal mother. As we all know, mothers are always maternal, wanting to be pregnant, heterosexual and have the need to take care of their children. Yeah right! Antonia's Line does an excellent job of criticizing this stereotype by depicting different types of mother-daughter pairings. Letta was the only woman that would support this stereotype while the other mothers diverge. For example Antonia played by Willeke van Ammelrooy, criticizes the idea that mothers should be married because she refuses to give Farmer Baas her hand. She also works on the farm. Danielle diverges from the simple fact that she is a lesbian. Therese criticizes the idea that all mothers are naturally maternal and always want to have children.

This film also does not completely objectify women to the same effect that most films end up doing. Antonia and the other women really do not `appear' for the men in their lives. The characters are strong women and they just worry about the many generations of women in their family. Antonia and the other women due to their strong characters, I feel, do not have the need to see themselves through the eyes of their male viewers. Antonia cares a great deal for the well being of her family that she has no need to fix herself up and she does not need a husband around to make her `whole.' She finds nothing wrong with the way that she is living her life or the way she looks. Another thing that this film does that helps to not objectify the women characters is that the audience is not clued into every aspect and thought of these characters lives. This makes them their own person and not a mere cinematic object that bases their views on the idea of men.

This film is a great movie in making one aware of such women's issues.