Mr Black I really enjoyed this film. I thought the direction and cinematography was superb. The director obviously put a lot of thought into each shot and the cinematographer is gifted. It is an unusual story line and well done. Really liked Elizabeth Reaser. Thought she was not only beautiful but did a great job posing as this poor German girl. Well done. In fact the entire cast was quite spectacular. Costuming was great. This is my type of film. It tells a story using character and script. Nobody getting blown up, or being shot. Just human emotion. This was director Ali Selim's first feature film and what a great start to a feature career. From what i've read he was already accomplished in working in commercials so he knew what film was all about. The transition to a feature film is superb.

kino1969 It's an extremely touching movie about xenophobia, traditional values, and hatred during WWII. All the cast is superb (especially Cumming, Reaser, Heusinger, and Smith! It's a different story, with beautiful cinematography. It's touching. I'm not going to touch on what the story is about (it's on the back cover of the DVD). --- Only problems I had is that 1) most of the characters just disappear at the end (like Lars, Frandsen, Brownie (Alex Kingston who I've never seen in anything but "ER" until this movie - and she does a good acting job, however, it is brief). Beatty and Heard are also (as usual) very good for their roles, 2) There are several "leftist" jabs at religion and capitalism that bothers me, and I don't understand why. I'm not an ultra-Conservative (by far), but I don't like (what feels to me as) cheap shots taken at these elements. However, after seeing where the money came to produce the movie (the sources are in the credits), it's no wonder why they are in there. It would have been given a perfect 10 if not for these jabs, which are somewhat out of historical context. 3) I don't know if there is a good reason why any of the 1968 or "present day" story is even necessary. Just keeping a chronological story of an immigrant mail order bride coming to America would have been great. --- I don't know about the historical accuracy about the backdrop of the movie, nor is it that problematic to me (in this instance). The movie is very good, but could have been a bit shorter and a little less critical about traditional values. --- E.

rooprect This is a wonderful, artistically-shot film which, despite its sweet title, introduces a lot of subthemes about the underbelly of human nature. Presented to us as a flashback within a flashback, the story takes us back to the last century where socio/political/religious rules were hard to get around. But despite it being a period piece, we see powerful reflections of modern day.Whether we're yelling "Witch!" or "German spy!" or "Pinko Communist!" or "Muslim Terrorist!", American society has always had a love affair with xenophobia that keeps frothing to the surface every few decades. What's interesting & inspiring about this movie is that it shows how individuals can still exist within this harsh, judgemental environment. Though society may be unfair & ignorant, we needn't get depressed & cynical about it. Romance can still exist.In keeping with that theme, the story is very bright and light-hearted (though never sappy), and that's what I enjoyed most about it. The landscape is vibrant, and the director made full use of colour, unlike many period pieces that are shot in dull sepias. On the contrary, being a flashback, this film presents a somewhat dreamy, storybook image which is very nice on the eyes.The star, Elizabeth Reaser, is so convincing as the European immigrant, and the way she unleashes rapid volleys of German and Swedish(?) is so authentic that I was certain she was a real-life German who couldn't speak any English. Imagine my surprise when I found out she's a Michigan girl. Her performance alone is worth the price of admission. If all mail-order-brides were like her, I'd be tempted to send away for a half dozen.

TxMike "Sweet Land" has several themes. Set in the years immediately after WW I, this community of Scandinavians reject anything German, even the language. When one of their own brings in his mail-order bride, a German, they are both rejected. Meanwhile his good friend is in debt, about to lose his farm to the auction block, and he needs to figure out how to marry this lady when the proper "papers" are absent.Elizabeth Reaser, an American, plays Inge from Germany. Pretty, smart, but not able to communicate. She meets her intended, Tim Guinee as Olaf, a very hard-working farmer. Initially very shy towards Inge, we see his admiration develop for her gradually.Because of the strict religious attitude of the time, Inga wasn't even able to stay with Olaf, instead sleeping among the 9 children at the next door neighbor's farm. But after a short while she wandered over to Olaf's, and he stayed in the barn to keep things sort of OK.The story is about immigration in the 1920s USA, about dealing with mail-order brides, about attitudes and prejudices. The movie also cuts to a period in the 1990s when Olaf dies, and the modern times when Inge dies, and the grandson has to decide if he will keep the farm, or sell it to a subdivision developer for $2Million+.