My Grandparents are of Norwegian ancestry, and their parents, homesteaded in a Norwegian populated area in North Dakota. I've been to the "farm" and never really knew how hard the life was. I had heard about the discrimination of Germans at that time, although they began in the 1890's. Hard work aside, what a beautiful life, a new frontier and God blessed as they were to have each other till death did they part. They are both buried on the farm. And the phrase Olav uses, "banking and farming don't mix" was something I heard my Grandfather say many times. I only wish I had known them, heard their stories. When I was there I saw the old place, where they are laid to rest and did little more than climb a haystack, milk a cow and a goat, and ride a horse. Bravo. What a lovely film.

Welcome to the land of Garrison Keillor. This is a very subtle and beautiful film about a topic that my mother would have been extremely aware of. Being of German descent (a family that began farming in the late 1800's), she and her brothers put up with a lot during the war. They had to make the decision at that point to not speak German, even among themselves. While they weren't put to the test as much (since their community was mostly German), it was always an issue. I think what makes this film is that there is little like it in the film world. The people at those Lutheran, soft-spoken, men-of-few- words farmers who go about their business, trying to stay ahead of the bank. The specter of socialism scares the banker because he can divide and conquer and take the land away from them without much effort. There's a lot of the same fear going on these days and people are awfully forgetful about what brought us here and awfully trusting of the potentially oppressive financiers. This film is so quiet and yet has such an edge to it. It's about true love and trust and how we pass our heritage on to others. I will add a totally irrelevant note. I had the pleasure of actually working in theatre with two of the minor characters during my college days in the 70's. Also, some fine work by Guthrie Theatre alums. See this film. You won't be disappointed.

It is true that "Sweet Land" would have been a better picture with the non-1920s segments removed. But that is not the major problem of the film. The general lack of thinking that permeates this picture along with the slow pace dooms it to failure.Example: In this very strange first generation Norwegian-American community, no one speaks Norwegian. How many first generation immigrant communities do not speak their native tongue at least amongst themselves? None.Example: The actors are supposed to be speaking German and Norwegian at one point. But because no one seemed to care to teach them (even if only phonetically) actual dialog, they spout gibberish that is suppose to sound Norwegian and German.Example: The anti-German World War One feelings are so high that the community refuses to accept the lead female character. But by the time of the story, the war had been over for four years. The losing Germans were no longer the enemy. The anti-German feelings no longer existed...especially from new immigrants. Norway did not battle the way the French and English did.Example: Two of the major characters played by Alan Cumming and John Heard have no motivation to do what they do, except that it advances the story in the direction the filmmakers want to go.Example: The one nude scene is totally gratuitous. Who takes a bath in the living room at four in the morning and then falls asleep in the tub? Only the bride-to-be of a farmer who is so dumb that he fails to see her and instead washes in the yard would know.These are just a few of the "sloppy" problems of the film. There is the slide show, the auction, the size of the wheat field, the bankers, the neighbors...You get the picture.If you have an overwhelming need to see Elizabeth Reaser's backside, then you will enjoy this film. Otherwise, you're just wasting your time.

"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+.