Audience Rated by buyers PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Type of bind: DVD
Format: NTSC
Sale Popularity Level: 202792
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Adapted from a Will Weaver story, Ali Selim's Sweet Land is a truly sweet story about unlikely immigrant lovers whose struggle for integration into 1920's America earns them a work ethic more American than many of their narrow-minded neighbors. Set in rural Minnesota, the sentimental film focuses on tribulations that Scandinavian settlers experienced, with a cinematic serenity reminiscent of Terrence Malik's Days of Heaven. Norwegian farmer Olaf Torvik (Tim Guinee) invites a non-English speaking German siren, Inge Alltenburg (Elizabeth Reaser), to relocate and marry him, but discovers that neither the town's Lutheran pastor (John Heard) nor the local judge will marry a German into their community for fear of wartime German spies. Inge finds friendship in neighbors Frandsen (Alan Cumming) and his wife, Brownie (Alex Kingston), who disregarding local gossip, welcome her into their home. Finally, Inge proves herself, settling in so that Sweet Land's historical narrative is framed by Inge, fifty years later, speaking to her adult son about her husband's death and their plot of land. This multi-generational tale of social acceptance and land ownership is ultimately the story of America, though the regional specificity of Sweet Land will speak especially to those familiar with Midwestern culture. --Trinie Dalton
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Rated by buyers 
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Sweet Land is a poignant movie depicting a German mail order bride who ends up in Scandinavian western Minnesota. The story is engaging and the scenery beautiful. It boggles my mind the risk that this young woman and many others took in coming to America and living among strangers; let alone marrying one.
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Not much plot but a sweet story of an immigrant on the MN prairie. Very nice!
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This is one of the loveliest, touching stories I have seen in a long time. This movie is how movies should TRULY be. The cinematography is wonderful, the actors perfectly chosen. There is a simpleness to everything about this film that fits the time period; a dreaminess surrounds the story that pulls you in....and makes you wish for simpler times. Beautiful!
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I have watched this film several times and have enjoyed it more each time. The actors
do a stellar job of portraying the characters in the Scandinavian community. What a pleasure to watch the gentle romance develop. It is so refreshing. I only hope that we see more of the director, Ali Selim. He is brilliant!
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I liked the opening of this movie, which I hope was taken directly from Mr. Weaver's short Story "Gravestone made out of Wheat" that said: "We hope we are all preceded into this world by a great love story". And this story begins anything but a love story. At the time of her husband's funeral, Inge reflects on how they met and got married. Inge was a bride from Europe who had arranged marriage in place with Olaf, a farmer of Norwegian descent living somewhere in the midwest. What Olaf is not aware of is that Inge is really of German descent and shortly after WWI has ended, Germans are less than popular in his community. What can this community do about a young woman with no family who has travelled across ocean to be married to a man she never saw before and who speaks not a word of English? The obstacles that these two young people encounter are great, but they are not waivering under pressure. They both do what both know is right and over time they win the respect and trust from their community. What started as possible arranged marriage or marriage of convenience grows into a love story of great proportions. What I really liked about this story is that it is not just a love story. It is also a critique of set of beliefs in America about what it means to be American, or German or Norwegian and how it related to simply being human and decent. It has been ages since I have seen a love story like this one. Great movie, history lesson and commentary on living an honest, ordinary, hardworking life.
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