Liv Ullmann turns out to be even a better director than she is an actress. Kristen Lavransdatter plunges us into a Christian-medieval Norwegian world that seems liveable and real. The settings are magnificent and the actors are fresh and fascinating.

The tale is about a young woman's cruel choices. Kristen turns away her first shy love because she's too devoted to her parents to think of defying her father's will that she marry another. She has gratitude for her situation, with her sister paralyzed (in an idyllic prologue set in their childhood) and other girls apparently sold off as brides for horrible old men. She also can't call her environment a hostile one, with two devoted and loving parents and caring neighbors. Even the nuns she lives with are decent and kind.

But Kristen finds her way into a forbidden love with a knight censured by the crown at Oslo and therefore unworthy of her hand. Erlend Nikulaussen has already outraged the province by stealing the bride of another man (one of those ancient cradle-robbers) and living with her openly. Now Kristen is bound to him through passion, and nothing anyone says can change her heart's desire.

The film is marvelously even-handed with what one would think is an impossible dilemma. Everyone initially adheres to proven modes of conduct as regards what honor and pride are owed. But unexpected resilience and tolerance appear everywhere. And Kristen taxes everyone's patience. Her priest from childhood (Erland Josephson) hears the worst from her and yet counsels her with understanding and love. A local outcast (from a similar romantic outrage in the previous generation, shades of Jacques Demy here) is considered a witch, but her involvement is entirely unselfish and benevolent. Even Kristen's spurned sweetheart shows that he means no harm, once he's able to make a gesture and save face.

The story shows the rapture that drives Kristen and her reckless knight-lover to be so destructive. Kristin starts out fairly ignorant, but even though she's the picture of innocence she never pretends to be so. Realizing how many people are going to be hurt, she concludes that lovers "trample on those around them." Yet she never considers backing down from what she wants. The story conceives of love as selfish and greedy and full of life itself. Even Kristen's father finally understands that to stand in its way is to guarantee disaster.

There are no guarantees for Kristin and Erlend, that's for sure. It's interesting that he's been splitting his time between Norway and Sweden, that liberal country to the East where sinning Norwegians go when they've been bad. From the outside, his commitment to Kristen seems shaky - we've seen many stories where reckless men turn out to be worthless liars. And we see the life he destroys so that he can have Kristin. Her father only fully understands her position when he realizes that every "perfect" marriage is founded on the pain of lost loves and missed opportunities.

Elisabeth Matheson is wondrous as Kristen, with her freckled face and guileless eyes. Bjorn Skagestad as Erland makes sympathetic what could easily be a contemptable character. Jorgen Langhelle's Simon shows that a hayseed character doesn't have to be a fool. As Kristen's parents, Henny Moan and Sverre Anker Ousdal carry on a side drama as powerful as the main story.

Home Vision's DVD of Kristen Lavransdatter has interesting insert notes from Tytti Soila, a Finnish writer who establishes the basis of the source book as a national epic and tells us that Liv Ullmann once played the title character on the stage. Ms. Ullmann is present for a taped interview about the movie. There is also a text extra about her career.

A tasteful and civilized story about timeless passions, Kristen Lavransdatter is as satisfying as romances get and a shining cultural advertisement for Norway. It's also a perfect stepping-stone back from the fantasy of Lord of the Rings to a more identifiable ancient world.

On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor, Kristin Lavransdatter rates:
Movie: Excellent
Video: Excellent
Sound: Excellent
Supplements: trailer, interview with Liv Ullmann
Packaging: Keep case
Reviewed: April 5, 2004