Hamsun (1996)

	Directed by: Jan Troell	COUNTRY Norway/Sweden/ Denmark Genre Biography/Drama INTERNATIONALTITLE Hamsun RUNNING TIME 159 minutes
	Produced by: Michael Christensen
	Written by: Per Olof Enquist
	Based on the book Prosessen mot Knut Hamsun by: Thorkild Hansen

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Knut Hamsun	Max von Sydow
Marie Hamsun	Ghita Nørby	½
Ellinor Hamsun	Anette Hoff
Arild Hamsun	Gard B. Eidsvold
Tore Hamsun	Eindride Eidsvold	½
Cecilia Hamsun	Åsa Söderling	½
Vidkun Quisling	Sverre Anker Ousdal
Maria Quisling	Liv Steen	½
Professor Langfeldt	Erik Hivju
Terboven	Edgar Selge
Adolf Hitler	Ernst Jacobi	½
Holmboe	Svein Erik Brodal	½
Harald Grieg	Per Jansen	½
Otto Dietrich	Jesper Christensen	½
Finn Christensen	Johannes Joner	½
Ørnulv Ødegård	Finn Schau	½

Review

First impressions are everything, they say. And so when this daunting biopic from Jan Troell (Utvandrarna, Nybyggarna) presents Knut Hamsun as Swedish and his wife as Danish, it may well tickle the patriotism of Norwegian viewers, if hardly anyone else. But the immensely talented Max von Sydow, who is almost perfect-looking for the part, doesn't take long to remove whatever doubt you may have had and draw you out of your nationalistic pride and into the hypnotic character of Hamsun himself. As realised by von Sydow, Hamsun's conflicting personality and constant ambivalence are brought to the screen – not always explicitly, but always evocatively. He gives the character a truthfulness that demands you to take the film seriously and treat the author's dilemmas with sensitivity. Because make no mistake about it: This is not a film about the celebrated author Hamsun; it's about an old, disillusioned celebrity and intellectual whose stubbornness and pride almost destroyed his legacy. There are no excuses given here, only understanding and perspective. And Troell, whose ambitiousness is borderline counter-productive, is able to rein in his epos through solid craftsmanship. With a brilliant Sverre Anker Ousdal as Vidkun Quisling, Edgar Selge as Josef Terboven, and the talented Eidsvold brothers as Hamsun's sons.