MovieChat Forums > Sweet Land (2008) Discussion > One Kiss

One Kiss

posted 16 years ago by wishmewell
12 replies | jump to latest

I pulled this film off the shelves at Blockbuster because it looked interesting. I found myself a little let down by the whole venture. I'm a Jane Austen fan, so I don't think a gratuitous sex scene would have been appropriate, but I bet there are a lot of people out there who, like me, just would have liked to see ONE KISS. Two actors who've spent two hours creating wonderful tension and forged a relationship against nature and language and "civilization" and you just can't wait to see when they realize that they are in love and... oh, wait, then the credits roll???????
Sorry, if it's a trifle pedestrian, but I found this film unsatisfying.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jewellrunner 16 years ago

I also never noticed that they didn't kiss. Guess they didn't have to get physical for me to believe their relationship. Very nice.

My Reviews - http://www.rottentomatoes.com/vine/journal_view.php?journalid=195926&a mp;view=public

[–] broadway309 16 years ago

I thought it was neat that a film could pull off an engaging love story for two hours without even a hug. How many films have done that, really?

But as impressive as that is, I agree, just one kiss would have made it a more satisfying story for me.

[–] PhreeByrd 16 years ago

In the context of the story and the characters, NOT showing a kiss was exactly the correct thing to do in my opinion. One of the major themes of the story is the perception by outsiders that these two people were engaged in something blasphemous, inappropriate, and outrageous, when clearly to us viewers, they were not. Also keep in mind that these are stoic, old country characters, and affection among these people was rarely expressed (outside the bedroom, at least). I have to applaud the filmmakers for not adding a hollywood kiss, though I'm sure there was some pressure to do so -- it would not have been true to or consistent with the characters.

I have other issues with the film, but I thought the ending, with the couple dancing, was poignant and perfect, and wonderfully true to both characters. Obviously they have indeed found love. Roll credits. Perfect.

[–] kaufmeisterin 15 years ago

You hit the nail, PhreeByrd, at least in my opinion. This movie is so beautiful JUST BECAUSE it is not a Hollywood crap type film. A kiss would have destroyed that, in my opinion.

While it has serious flaws (the language gibberish is neither deutsch nor norsk!!), the characters looked very authentic to me. And when their dancing "in the full day light! GASP!" was considered outrageous and sinful, a kiss would not have happened unless the guy would have abused her. But he didn't even look at her undressed, because that was forbidden.

And on a personal note: I consider a kiss more intimate than the sexual act. When I met my future husband for the first time (mail-order American, so-to-speak), I had sex with him almost right away, but the first kiss happened only on his next visit 6 months later. (I am German and at that point still lived in Germany)

I am aware this context is "strange" to Hollywoodesque thinking people, but that is how it was. And with that in mind, a kiss would have completely destroyed this movie for me, which had been pretty authentic in my understanding (except for the false languages of course, that is the one flaw marking my rating down by 2 full points!).

[–] maria_maria 15 years ago

I think it's because we've gotten used to films (romantic comedies and light romances--not films where the actors "make out" all the time) where that "One Kiss" with the cameras revolving around the leads is a symbol of physical, marital love. "It's not tacky, but sexual in a sweet way" you might say is the concept. This was very well parodied by "Enchanted" where Giselle doesn't really know about the birds and the bees and thinks kissing is the end-all and be-all. In a certain genre of film, kissing stands in for it. This film shares themes, but refuses to obey that genre convention. The ending ("Nacht?" "Ja. Komm." Sorry... I don't have German spelling. "Are you naked?" "Yes. Come upstairs.") certainly isn't squeamish...

It's more in line with "It Happened One Night," with the "walls of Jericho" being trumpeted down.

[–] gardbr-784-437202 14 years ago

unsatisfying? no wonder you like dried up english literature with their prudish femmes and their swooning desires.

[–] cheluzal 14 years ago

The OP only wanted one little smooch. You guys railing against it, claiming Hollywood, must be artsy-fartsy people who go so overboard that you can't even have one element common to movies without trying to sound all smarmy and intelligent.

Define "opinion" then get back to me.

[–] polexia 13 years ago

It's better without a kiss. It's unique, so let it be. You want a kiss, go watch another movie. This is what it is and it has a place in film.

I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.

[–] timlin-4 12 years ago

This was one sexually repressed culture, so when they held hands it was the equivalent of toungue kissing. He does get to go upstairs eventually...but do you really want to see the woman in that sex scene transformed into granny in the next shot?