Photographic Therapy: ‘Everlasting Moments’

By Christopher P. Jacobs
Staff Writer

Swedish director-cinematographer-editor Jan Troell is best-known for his acclaimed 1971-72 pair of epics, “The Emigrants” and “The New Land,” which chronicle the struggles of 19th-century Swedish farmers and their ultimate settling in Minnesota. Turning 80 years old this summer, he’s currently got a new production in the works, according to the imdb, but his most recent feature was three years ago. Last summer that 2008 production, “Everlasting Moments,” came out on Blu-ray from Criterion.

“Everlasting Moments” is a vivid look into early 20th-century, working-class family life that is both a moving character study and a stunningly beautiful tribute to the photographic image as art and historical artifact. Its original Swedish title, “Maria Larssons eviga ögenblick” (“Maria Larsson’s eternal moments”), is more evocative of the film’s subject. Not only does it mention the protagonist’s name, but while “ögenblick” may mean “moment” it translates literally as “blink of an eye,” an apt parallel to the shutter of the camera that truly transforms the life of Maria and provided the original images that inspired a book and this film based upon actual events.

The real Maria Larsson’s daughter was the aunt of director Troell’s wife and the words of her reminiscences become a periodic voice-over throughout the film, like an oral history come to life. We learn that Maria (Maria Heiskanen) won a camera in a lottery while she and her philandering, often-drunk, dockworker-husband (Mikael Persbrandt) were still courting in 1900. Around 1909, she tries to sell the still-unused camera to a photo studio to support their struggling family, but the proprietor (Jesper Christensen) instead shows her how to use it and gives her some photographic plates and chemicals that he says he can deduct from the price when she decides to sell it.

She takes and develops a number of pictures in secret, which the photoshop owner recognizes as demonstrating an eye for subject and composition, and he persuades her to keep at it. Naturally her increasingly brutal husband is not happy at her new pastime, but during the next few years she gets a neighborhood reputation and is often hired to photograph family members, businesses, and in a very touching scene, a child’s funeral portrait. Maria and the photographer develop a poignant, unspoken and unfulfilled relationship that nevertheless infuriates her husband, especially after the man he believes must be cuckolding him takes her and the children to see a Chaplin film.

As time goes on the family has its ups and downs, the father gets in and out of touchy political activities, as well as spending jail time for assault on his wife. Throughout it all, Maria finds that photography has become a guilty addiction that relieves her inner frustrations but sometimes makes her “forget she’s a mother.” Nevertheless, she continues with it and even sells some photos to the newspaper. Eventually her husband cleans up his act, the family rises to middle-class respectability, and the story leaves off during the 1920s.

The cast is fine all around, especially Heiskanen as the title character. The couple’s love-hate relationship shows a believable blend of faults and admirable qualities on both sides, intensified through the effective editing of the nuanced performances, often seen in close-ups. Just as much a star is Troell’s evocative cinematography, whose brownish-golden cast and artful graininess (it was shot on Super-16mm film for blowup to 35mm) gives an impression of early 20th-century Autochrome photographs. A picnic scene is strongly reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman, especially “Wild Strawberries,” except that it’s in color.

The 131-minute running time never seems long, thanks to the denseness of the characterizations in this family epic, the span of time covered, and the richness of the settings and imagery. It’s surprising this film was not up for the “Best Foreign Language Film” Oscar two years ago, but at least the Blu-ray release may now get it more exposure.

Criterion’s Blu-ray has an overall excellent high-definition picture transfer from the original film negative that is extremely sharp and reproduces the grain structure beautifully. A few shots sometimes seem soft, but they likely were shot that way.  The lossless DTS-HD stereo soundtrack is also very good. Unfortunately there is no audio commentary, but the 20-page illustrated booklet and three included documentaries help make up for that lack. One is a short behind-the-scenes documentary, another is the fascinating true story of Maria Larsson, and the third is an hour-long survey of the director’s career. There’s also a trailer.

“Everlasting Moments” is a film for anyone who loves the photographic image, the photochemical process, the time period of 1900-1930, or has an interest in women’s issues. “EVERLASTING MOMENTS” ON BLU-RAY MOVIE:  A+  / Video: A / Audio: A / Extras: A-
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