Änglagård – Andra sommaren (House of Angels – The Second Summer) (1994)
Synopsis
Änglagård – Andra sommaren is based on the previous installment Änglagård (part 1) which is the Swedish first film that touched harsh topics of society and local norms without falling off into overly dramatic story lines. Directed by the same Colin Nutley himself, the film once more ventures into Swedish more accurately Fanny’s (Helena Bergström) and Zac’s (Rikard Wolff) return to the Swedish countryside and its peculiar inhabitants whom the characters become and still are after the two have left.
Having moved into the beautiful but unmended house named after its occupant, Fanny and Zac have incorporated themselves into the society, and yet face new challenges as with those posed in the first film. With relationships under strain, a backdrop narrative unfolds of the perennial struggle to belong: is it with tradition or with change?
Awards & Wins
The film earned several accolades primarily based on the main lead actors and the beautiful photographs showing the wonderful landscape. It was not able grab prestigious awards but kept a respectable place in Swedish films as its development of Änglagård history was the best crafted.
Cast & Crew
- Director: Colin Nutley
- Cast:
- Helena Bergström as Fanny, the free-spirited and obstinate heroine.
- Rikard Wolff as Zac, her devoted, but difficult to comprehend partner.
- Sven Wollter as Axel Flogfält, a gregarious and emotionally fragile villager.
- Tord Peterson as Gottfrid Pettersson, a well-integrated and hard-core farmer.
- Reine Brynolfsson as Henning Collmer, a character adding the flavor of the place.
IMDb Ratings
Overall, the film has received a moderate IMDb score rating of 6.0 /10 for this as it still appeals to the fans of the original but is criticized for pacing slow as compared to the first.
Personal Perspectives
Änglagård – Andra sommaren is yet another wedge espousing rattan feelings, making the viewer grateful of the sight of lovely images showing Scandinavian lands together with rounded arguments. Helena Bergstrom and Rikard Wollff have many scenes together, and the two in actors’ performances are undoubtedly warm which makes their onscreen relationship quite believable. Themes of the movie also encompass complicity, reunification and development of self but all may be slower that the second movie for those who don’t have seen it’s first part.
Cultural Significance
The Änglagård series is an important part of the history of Swedish cinema as it depicts a romanticized version of the Swedish countryside while also debating the rural and urban ways of life. In this respect it is quite clear that it is crucial to understand diversity, while appreciating that change is essential; this is a tender tale that travels well.