A few weeks ago, Nancy and I watched a movie we really enjoyed. The cinematography appears to have been done by Andrew Wyeth, with the whole movie powerful and understated. You have the clear and satisfying sense of having been told a story. The good church folks in it are blinkered and provincial, but are never demonized, and provide a great surprise twist. The movie is as clean as it gets, and yet crackles with erotic energy throughout. We enjoyed it so much that we watched it again a few weeks later, and got a lot more out of it.
Set right after the First World War in rural Minnesota, the story revolves around a farmer named Olaf who gets a mail order bride from the old country. Her name is Inge, but when she arrives, it turns out — to everyone’s dismay — that she is German. The Lutheran preacher won’t marry them, and neither will the judge, and Olaf has to sleep in the barn. With that set up, you can enjoy the rest. The movie is called Sweet Land.