Customer Reviews

The Other Side of Sunday

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The movie tells the story of a sixteen (?) year old girl, growing up in the cold environment of an orthodox, Norwegian church as the vicar's daughter. She is a very contemplative teenager, looking through the hypocrisy of the peolple that surround her. She strongly feels that the 'God' these people worship is a god that squeezes the life out of everyone who is trying to follow his heart. Her rebellion against this only grows by every question she poses against this rule-based Christianity that remains unanswered. It takes a lot of nerve and character strength to stand up against the prevailing morals in such a small community as she is living in, but at the end of the movie she has gathered enough courage to do so. By that time, this oppressing envinronment has cost the life of the only person in church she really could talk to. But saying more would be giving it all away. Though somewhat exagerating in black-and-white oppositions, this movie still tells a beautiful tale!

Set in a Norwegian town in 1959, Maria is a young teen girl soon to become a woman, but is highly confused about her life. She is the daughter of a priest who loves and treasures his parishioners over family. Her mother is spineless while father is a stern dictator in the home. The family sits quietly to eat at the dinner table after the prayer/songs her father commands. He cannot tell her he loves her and she believes that the family only exists so the priest can have a home - a place to sleep and eat.

Maria seems bored and confused and doesn't want to be confirmed and hates how pathetic the church hags are and how the congregation lacks any love within themselves.

She is drawn to the teens from the congregation, who immediately after church hit the booze, smoke, listen to rock & roll and have sex. She explores her sexuality, wears makeup, earrings and lipstick. Her father calls the cafe where the youngsters hang out as the Devil's lair, the den of sin.

Maria befriends the church secretary, Mrs. Tunheim, who is having an affair with her father. Without divulging that she knows of the affair, Maria seeks advice and understanding from Mrs. Tunheim, someone willing to live freely and who tells Maria, "live your life."

The 1996 movie is on VHS with very poor visual and dark scenes. It is a coming-of-age, religious style. For the Oscar awards, 1996, this movie was nominated for Best Movie, but lost to a Czec film Closely Watched Trains - Criterion Collection...Rizzo

This is the second Fox Lorber DVD that I've bought, and both are horrible transfers. The entire movie looks dark, especially compared to the version I saw on DBS, and, if you freeze at any point, the edges of images have ghost images (no pull-down technology?). This is a nice, thoughtful film that deserves better.

Note: Presented in Norwegian with English subtitles.

`The Other Side of Sunday' is a slow but ultimately satisfying film from Norway about a intelligent, sensitive and beautiful teenage girl who questions the nature of God as it is mirrored in the lives and attitudes of her Father, the local priest, and the Christian congregation he shepherds. Her interior "crisis of belief" becomes more and more pronounced in her words and activities as her first communion day draws closer. Will she follow her heart and be honest with herself by rejecting what she perceives as misguided faith, or will she bend to the desires of her Father and embrace Jesus and the Church?

Because of the slow pace and quiet demeanor of the film you might have a little difficulty maintaining your interest and focus at first. However if you allow yourself to tune into the storyline and the lovely young actress Marie Theisen you'll eventually find yourself deeply involved in the questioning process along with her. When the film is over one hopefully is left with the message that questioning the articles of faith is a good thing and ultimately one must be true to oneself if life is to have any meaning. Save this one for a quiet, thoughtful evening when you're in the mood to ponder "The Mysteries."

My Rating: -4 ½ Stars-.

This was an incredibly touching video about a girl trying to live how she wants while being smothered by her family's values. It's an intelligent movie, and done extremely well. It is well worth the money for the DVD!

I'm not going to summarize this movie, because that's been done, but suffice it to say that if you enjoy dramas, and movies that are based on great plot and charechters, and not millions of dollars in special effects, you will love this movie.

It's 1959 in Norway, and Maria, daughter of the local priest, is on the cusp of budding young womanhood. But while this lovely film does delve into the awakening of her sexuality, it's even more about her growing awareness of herself as an individual, with thoughts & beliefs of her own. It does so in an understated way, rather than with overwrought melodrama -- the recurring image of the flowing river at twilight is a perfect metaphor here, reflecting Maria's own increasingly restless spirit.

Her only friend & confidante is the older woman who works for the church, Mrs. Tunheim. The two share secrets & laughter, with Mrs. Tunheim revealing herself to be a similar free spirit, one who has been gradually smothered by the pall of shame & guilt & religiosity of her society. Sadly, she feels it's far too late for herself ... but she does her best to encourage & support Maria's own struggling spirit.

Maria's father is strict, but clearly not an evil man. Yet in his adherence to a life-denying worldview, he's created a widening gap between himself & his children. It's heartbreaking to see Maria ask him point blank if he loves her. He takes awhile to answer, and finally responds that of course he does, as God wills. In other words, love as duty & obligation, rather than as something freely given.

Maria's growing rebellion is simple on the surface -- a bit of rock & roll, lipstick, earrings made of milk bottle caps -- but in her private reveries in the forest, her own secret place, she asks difficult questions about the nature of God. And a tragic (but not unexpected) event leads her to make her own choice in a very public way.

There's a good deal of biting humor & painful adolescence here, which anyone remembering the teenaged years will identify with all too ruefully. Maria Theisen is wonderful as Maria, her quiet face filled with emotion. And it's the bittersweet undercurrent that gives the film its real power. Yes, it builds slowly & gradually, but reflects life in doing so -- and the final scene is genuinely life-affirming, in a way that'll leave you smiling. Most highly recommended!

Maria is a teenager whose father is a priest in a parish in a small town in Norway in the late 1950s. She is awakening to her individuality but finds the rules of her religion and home stifling ... Her friends are discovering the opposite sex while she is not even allowed to wear lipstick or mascara. Maria is wrestling with the teachings of her church and the natural inclinations of her own mind and nature ... Her father is the priest who has strict rules and a strict interpretation of the Bible - yet Maria has discovered the Song of Solomon where the verses speak exactly about the feelings she is experienceing. When sitting in church, her mind wanders to what she is missing and when listening to the sermon, her mind compares what she is truly feeling which differs from the narrow view presented of what G-d wants from his subjects. She ponders why G-d created imperfect human beings and then forces them to follow strict rules ... Maria's mother is a thin, gaunt lady whose life was squeezed out of her. She seems to have little say in the marriage, her role is that of an obedient servant.

Maria shares her personal questions and feelings with Mrs. Tunheim in whom she suspects a kindred spirit, a lady in the church who is the organist and the church secretary. Maria and she secretly put lipstick on each other and discuss forbidden subjects. Mrs. Tunheim speaks aabout freedom and its expression not being against G-d's will. She encourages Maria to pursue her own interests regardless of the teachings of the church. After Maria's mother is hospitalized with an ulcer, Maria over hears a discussion between Mrs. Tunheim and her father whom she suspects has feelings for the secretary ...

Maria wrestles whether to become confirmed (which means accepting the teachings of the church) and becoming a full-fledged adult member as she explores her secret secular experiences ... She attends confirmation class which is taught by a handsome young priest who awakens sexual desires in her girlfriend. The young priest spoke with Maria in private and kissed her. Maria skips class and dares to visit the cafe - called a "den of sin" by her father. There she sips a coke. Her 'sin' is reported to her father by some 'well meaning' parishioners. Maria makes veiled comments to her father about everything not being what it seems, referring to his feelings for Mrs. Tuneheim ... Maria continues to explore aspects of the secular life by questioning what she is taught versus what she sees as reality and what she experiences as an honest life before G-d. An unexpected event involving Mrs. Tunheim's disappearance brings her father and herself to an understanding about what is really important in life ... Despite the serious subject matter, the film contains many humourous and comedic moments as it presents the awakening of the innocence of the main character, Maria, into the complexity of adulthood. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

i saw this movie on cable recently. i only wish my vcr was running. it was a sweet story about a young girl who faces issues we all face in our life.

The movie is fantastic and all about church. Marie Theisen plays
a tremendous role and looks really beautiful as well. Those eyes
of hers are so innocent looking. I would like to see her in more
films today. The other children in the movie do a great job also. Especially the cheeky little girl.

Marie Theisen deserves to have more websites about her. More
pictures and information. I would like to download a picture of
Maria Theisen for my desktop. A very pretty actress of Norway.

The story was nice, not spectacular, but because of the pretty Norske girl, I give this movie a 5 star rating. Scandinavian films with Scandinavian heroines are the best!