Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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50 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the truly special film events., February 4, 2000
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.
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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dutch Treat!......, November 29, 2003
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]
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25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sweet & Sublime. (Small minds need not apply.), August 31, 2001
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.
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