THERE'S real beauty in this Swedish drama, a gentle, slow-moving tale about a working-class woman at the turn of the 20th century who finds quiet relief from her hard existence in the art and craft of photography. Apparently based on a true story, an
d shot in rich browns to give a sense of sepia tones found in early photography, the film celebrates the power of creativity and art without buying into the chest-beating myth of the tortured artist. Maria Heiskanen plays shy, sensitive Maria Larsson, a mother of seven, who wins a camera in a lottery and is encouraged to take pictures with it by the owner of the local photography shop.
He has an obvious attraction to her, but also senses in her a need to express herself, something she's not given much chance to do with a drunken, philandering and abusive husband to look after, in addition to her brood. Told from the point of view of Maria's eldest daughter, Maja, the film is set over a number of years, stretching from militant labour disputes, through the First World War and beyond.
It keeps the story tightly focused on Maria throughout, giving us a sense of how such momentous events impacted on ordinary people, but that also necessarily limits the scope somewhat.
At times there doesn't seem to be quite enough going on to justify two hours poring over her life and, as her daughter's voice-over fills in blanks about her life, her thoughts and feelings, it feels a little unnecessary. Like a good photograph, this works best when it lets the images speak for themselves.
The full article contains 290 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
