Review of Fanny and Alexander (1982) by Mark O — 23 Oct 2009

This is the choice; the three hour epic or the five hour even more epic. And lucky me, my DVD rental company sent me the five hour version so feet up relax, buy snacks first. Actually I ended up watching it in two sessions, which was easy as it divides into five "acts", so you can choose a nice place to stop.

This is not a film for everyone. It's a slow long drama about a Swedish extended family at the turn of the previous century. Despite its title, you find out little about Alexander and even less about his sister, and most about the variety of colourful characters that make up their family - the theatrical parents, the manic depressive uncle, the philandering other uncle. It starts with a large Christmas celebration and there's plenty of snow and general Bergmanly swedishness, before the story turns darker as all good epics should and Fanny and Alexander and their mother ... well, I don't want to spoil it. If you're not hooked by the end of act two, then I think you should turn off and go do something else instead. Otherwise open another bag of peanuts, and get comfy. Lucky you, there's a long way to go yet....