Based on novel by Martin Andersen Nexo, the film tries to tell too much of the written novel and loses threads of the plot by not following up on any. However, this film is a magnificent story, magnificently cinematography of harsh rocky land and beautiful lush wheat farmlands in Denmark. von Sydow and cast of characters, all of them, are wonderfully acted! It comes off like a grand "soap" opera!

Jeg læste den i grænselandet mellem barn og voksen og parallelt med De Fem-bøgerne.
Og blev bevidst om at der findes andre verdener end barndomshjemmets villakvarter. ( )