En sång för Martin (2001) User Reviews

Got right to the chase

[marbleann · 8/10 · 2 January 2006]

First I want to say I never heard of this movie before unless it was in the cable listings. The title made it seem like a children's movie. So I was never really interested. Well I got blindsided one morning. I woke up and the party scene in the beginning was going on. Right before she goes to bed with Martin for the first time. I was drawn to the movie because it wasn't your usual twenty-somethings but a middle age couple. I did not know he was not her husband until she broke the news to her children that she was getting a divorce. I am interested now. But I had not a inkling about what was to come. I love the scenes on their honeymoon and I said to myself this is a pretty god movie about finding love at a older age. If it was a American movie this would never have happened, BUT if it is a American movie something has to happen. We are so sanctimonious with our movies so they have to be punished. Well something did happen.

I love this movie because it doesn't gloss over how bad it is to take care of a sick person. And how devastating a illness can be. Even though Martin had Alzheimer I feel his illness represented anyone who has to deal with a catastrophic illness and the caretakers, people who usually love them the most. How many people do I know including me who have taken care of a sick loved one who can identify with the woman in this movie. People are afraid to say how angry they could get or mad with the person they are helping. This movie shows her frustration and anger. The little scene in which she tells Martin that they canceled his show was great. God I knew she was lying. She was angry and that is how she showed it. She never abused him but she abused herself. How many care takers have I known end up sicker then the person they are caring for? Or died. More then a few. My grandfather for one. Thankfully in the country the movie takes place in they have places for people to go to to get a rest and health-care is free. In the United States we not only have to worry about the persons illness we have to worry about what happens if they have to go in a home. Not only because of the sub par care but because if you do not have a lot of money the care is horrendous. How refreshing to see that problem was not something she have to worry about.

In this movie they deal strictly with the emotional side of a illness and how it affects the person who loves them the most. And it is done well. How the wife wanted to make life as normal for him as possible knowing that it was really fruitless. How she wanted to keep him home as long as she could. How it affects the children and friends. The scene where the best friend slips out of the concert hall was so realistic. People seem to disappear when their "friends" get sick.

I am also glad it was not a long drawn out movie. They got right to the chase. The to leads were excellent. On a sad note I read that the female lead actually died right after making this movie and she had evidentially lived with the male lead and he was there with her when she died. How sad.

A deep love despite loss

[Mattias · 8/10 · 29 September 2001]

A story about deep love and how it can overcome any obstacle. Barbara's and Martin's love is put to the test when their doctor diagnose Martin with Alzheimer's disease. For Martin, as a famous composer, it gets more and more difficult to finish an opera due to his sickness, which also strains his relationship with his wife Barbara. Her love and constant reminiscence of their past makes her treat him as fully healthy for much too long.

Both Viveka Seldahl as Barbara and Sven Wollter as Martin are making a wonderful performance in the leading roles. Seldahl is able to use her face the show any kind of expression as the disease turns her beloved husband from a hardworking composer to a bedridden hospital patient. It is nice to finally see her in a leading role. And Wollter is thoroughly credible as the man suffering from a disease that slowly but surely will take his senses from him. We as the audience should ask ourselves if the man finally admitted to hospital is the same man Barbara married. The tragedy of Alzheimer's disease face us with a question if somebody's personality has something innate that will withstand loss of memory or dementia. To Barbara, at least, it is clear that Martin's illness does not change what she feels for her husband: love.

Also worth accolades is the beautiful score by Stefan Nilsson.

A mind is a terrible thing to lose.

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 4 July 2002]

This was a very real and harrowing film. I went with misgivings since I knew what the subject was about, but fell under the spell cast by director Bille August.

This story rings true from the beginning. The film is a lovely love story between Barbara and Martin, played superbly by Viveka Seldahl and Sven Wottter.

Barbara, obviously is dealt a blow when the Alzheimer is diagnosed but she proceeds to deal with it in her own terms. Little did she know that her marriage to Martin would turn into the nightmare it did. How do you stop loving and doing for that person you thought about spending the rest of your life with?

The Alzheimer turns Martin into a vegetable. His mind is gone. From the brilliant composer and director, he becomes another person completely different from the person we met at the beginning of the film.

Most critics in New York keep comparing this film with Iris. It is very unfair, because obviously all Alzheimers cases are different and don't have to reflect in this case, what went in Iris Murdoch's mind.

I have to give credit to the director, Mr. August, who has not taken the easy approach and documents the progress in a very dignified manner.

All the performances are on key. The extended families of these couple are very strong behind the parents, which is something very rare to find these days.

Alzheimer's conquers all

[trixter-2 · 7 October 2001]

While `A song for Martin' is a powerful movie, it is also a sort of impotent one. One of the hobbyhorses of my high school literature teacher was to make us understand the difference between what is tragic and dramatic. A car accident is tragic. A car going over a cliff driven by someone fulfilling his inescapable destiny is drama. Alzheimer's is a tragic disease, but it is not drama. Unavoidable is not a substitute for inescapable. You cannot have drama without participation while participation is the last thing you can expect from someone suffering from the disease. This is a very well made movie. Acting is superb; cinematography is fine. I learned from it everything I would ever care to know about Alzheimer's, but I still left the theatre with an empty feeling. The story is sad, the loss is painful and love conquers everything but I had no revelations. I received information, from which I only gained knowledge, not real gut wrenching understanding. I never cared much about acted documentaries and this film never really rose above that.

`A song for Martin' has a very promising start. Passionate love at the age of 50/60 is full of dramatic potential. For a while I thought that is what the movie will be about, but I was wrong. There are hints of dramatic conflict but they are never explored and from the moment Martin is diagnosed, the story turns purely didactic. Dealing with such a situation also has dramatic potentials but this movie choose to concentrate on the evolution of the illness. Is that bad? I don't know, but gaining this sort of knowledge is not what I expect from art.

Should you see this movie? I think so. You will learn a lot about the illness most of us fear the most. Just do not expect more. See it for what it is: an animated illustration of the disease. For that, it is perfect.

Clock

[ebbenielsen7 · 7/10 · 23 October 2006]

A film to learn from - in many, many ways. And a difficult film to watch. It moved me a lot. More shocking than any thriller. It reminds me of my own great fear of getting ill in this way. Or my wife for that matter. Terrible. And must terrible is, that this disease makes you another person - and you can't do anything in order to prevent it - besides living in perfect harmony.

The actors were great. And the music. And the nice pictures from the seaside, where the couple lived.

Just one (big) complain: The symbol in the end is too heavy and spoiling. Her life must go on: she starts the clock again. Come on ...

Well intentioned in terms of it's subject matter, but far from the best

[jordondave-28085 · 6/10 · 31 March 2023]

(2001) A Song For Martin/ En sång för Martin (In Swedish with English subtitles) DRAMA

Co-written, co-produced and directed by Bille August with senior violinist, Barbara (Viveka Seldahl) and music composer/ conductor Martin choosing to leave their long time potential spouses to marry each other, and it isn't long "Martin" the title of the movie is referring to, begins to show some of the first signs of alzheimer's, forcing Barbara's hand to make adjustments.

"A Song for Martin" may be the first movie that addresses alzheimer's but it's not the best to address the problem as I thought "Away From Her" was far superior as it does not let the character who suffers from the disease continue to humiliate himself on front of people, for it's already bad enough that he suffers from it.

Love and Perseverance

[nbott · 10/10 · 13 November 2001]

It is my understanding that when a man and a woman get married, it is because they love one another and promise to be loyal and faithful. Despite the fact that many marriages are no such thing, it is wonderful to see a film that convinces you that it is possible to love someone so much that no amount of adversity can destroy it.

That is the essence of this film. It is true that we learn a great deal about a horrible disease, but, more importantly, we learn what true love is. The drama in this film really takes place in the mind and the heart of Barbara, the wife. She must face the changes in her life from the joy of finding true love in her life after a difficult marriage to a life of dealing with a sick husband. We see her, painstakingly, deal with change after change and sometimes she breaks down because of the enormity of the challenge.

The second lesson we learn in this film is that love brings a real sense of perseverance. Caring for a sick husband is really no different than caring for a child. A mother normally does not lose her love for the child because he or she acts like a child, but, rather, she perseveres because of pure and simple love.

I do not have sufficient words to express the beauty of this film. It rings true.

"Love is alive and present, even if its buried alive by brain disease"

[victorsargeant · 10/10 · 19 December 2005]

Caught this film late one night, cold Colorado winter night, and could not walk away to a warm bed.

Well done, cast and crew deserve to be proud of themselves, if this is the director's wish. Never knew much about Swedish foreign film.

Bergman, of course, but not this director. Echoes of Bergman were felt.

The actors who played the leads, Martin and Barabara were perfect and carried the story. I felt their love and pain.

The summer picnic conversation around Mozart's The Magic Flute, was the metaphysical key to the lock for me. Two questions are discussed, light overcomes darkness and even the departed, are still alive and above all love survives all.

Watching the different levels of old timers pull them down into its oblivion, we see the struggles of the two lovers grasping the threads of their love, against the winds of madness.

Nancy Reagen, remarked, "They know from their side, that they are being taken away, against their will, and the look of desperation is haunting. It is the worst stage of the disease." In the last scene, Barbara moves in to Kiss Martin, and he mistakes this movement, to mean food, and opens his mouth, like a bird....its poignant and sweet.

Would own this DVD, as it gave me something I want to keep. I want to know more about the director, and the two major actors now.

SARGE

The worst movie I've seen in years

[rooprect · 2/10 · 1 May 2015]

I can't understand how so many reviewers feel this movie is about "true love" when it is about the exact opposite: hypocrisy and selfishness masquerading under the self- righteous banner of love.

The story begins with a woman who has an affair and dumps her husband 5 days before Christmas (all in the name of love, of course). The man in the affair, a world renowned composer, similarly breaks up his own marriage and family to be with the woman. The two live in wedded bliss with the woman repeatedly making the man promise that he'll never abandon her. But an incurable illness drives a wedge between the two--an illness for which the woman repeatedly and irritatingly blames the man (as "abandonment") while she melodramatically plays the martyred caregiver.

There is a scene midway where, at her end of her patience, she cruelly crushes his illusion of comfort by blurting out the harsh reality he needn't know. Then she justifies it by saying they swore to always be honest with each other, in the name of "love". That scene made me want to track down the writer and say "By the way, yes, that dress DOES make you look fat!" *facepalm*

Let me say that the illness is one that I have firsthand experience with. The portrayal is quite accurate, and for most of the movie I was impressed with the acting in that regard. But what I found utterly disgusting is the woman's way of handling the illness. Sure, dealing with any sudden illness is tough on loved ones, but this movie came across as simply a pity party for the woman and a justification for her atrocious handling of the situation culminating in an utterly sickening, hypocritical choice even though apparently other reviewers think it's "beautiful". I won't say what it is, but rather I'll let you be the judge if you decide to waste your 2 hours watching this. I'll just say it will undoubtedly offend anyone, like me, who has actually dealt with the hardships of caring for a loved one unconditionally.

Though evidently some have interpreted this to be a feel good love story, I found it to be a sickening glorification of selfishness. It reminded me of similarly disturbing Woody Allen flicks which glorify Woody's sexual obsession of old men and young girls which audiences applaud, perhaps not knowing or caring to know about Woody's real life history of sexual abuse toward his daughter, Dylan. I can bet you that the creator of this film has a similar agenda of glorifying his or her own selfish behavior, passing it off as the spoils of love.

If you want to see a great movie that illustrates true, unselfish love in the face of a debilitating disease, check out "Away from Her" starring the great Julie Christie.

As much as I hate "Song for Martin" I actually recommend that you watch this movie to the end so that some of you can see how NOT to behave in a serious illness situation. This movie took hospice care back 100 years. Two stars out of ten, simply because I reserve 1-star ratings for snuff films like "Cannibal Holocaust" and "Electrocuting an Elephant".

Powerful and moving with hard realism .

[cathylb · 10/10 · 27 August 2005]

This is not a "public gratification" movie - don't watch it if you must have a happy ending. Also, it's subtitled (the subtitles were large and easy to read, yet did not detract from the film).

It is a powerful and moving story of a woman, a talented violinist, dealing with Alzheimer's disease as she watches it ravage her husband, a renowned composer. It details her journey from having a fully functioning, healthy, loving husband, to the hard reality of taking care of him as he gets worse and worse.

There are heart-wrenching scenes as he declines and his disease takes over his brain. As his wife, she is determined to keep him home as long as she can, but as he knows her less and less, it becomes impossible.

We watch as the transformation takes place in her: From loving wife, to care-taker, to nurse-mother, and eventually to accepting the inevitable. It's amazing to watch how she adapts to each stage, and it is done incredibly well.

I was completely engrossed in this film from the moment I started watching it. I found it beautifully done. It is worth watching.

Is this the best Swedish movie of 2001?

[Serva · 2/10 · 27 February 2002]

Despite not doing well at the theaters and not-so-enthusiastic critic response, this movie was nominated for best picture at the Swedish equivalent of the Oscars, Guldbaggegalan. Sadly I think this tells more about what a slow year 2001 was for Swedish films than what a great film this is. Because in my humble opinion it certainly is not anything special at all. Where should I start. It is based on a book and unfortunately this REALLY shows through... Several lines sound as if they were taken straight from a book. And they use words you simply never use in spoken language.

The story itself is about an old man who obviously is a composer. He falls in love with a woman in his orchestra and they move together but he gets Alzheimers and it gets really bad very fast. Sounds like fun and games to you? Well I can tell you it sure isn't. It gets really predictable very quickly and what's worse it really doesn't end anywhere surprising. Not good or satisfying in any way. The acting is pretty awful actually. Sven Wolter does a good job portraying someone with Alzheimers, but others like Viveca Seldahl delivers her lines without even trying to put some emotion into it. But worst of all for me, having played in an orchestra for several years, was the silliness of trying to cover up that Viveca and Sven really have never been close to such a thing. They stand out awkwardly clear against the people who know how to play an instrument, and it really ruins those scenes for me. No, get your act together Swedish film industry. We need more movies like Fanny och Alexander. My rating: 2/10.

Life imitating art

[rudys-2 · 10/10 · 31 December 2005]

I guess I am a late comer to this wonderful movie. But the typical Scandinavian style of weaving a story really impressed me about this movie. Even more so was the fact that I read about Viveka in real life dying in the arms of her long-time companion, Sven Wolter, the protagonist in the movie. The true love that remains bright even under such dire circumstances that mirrored real life was indeed a beauty to watch. Perhaps as a latecomer I could appreciate life imitating art imitating life scenario. One could see Viveka's face brighten up even when she got a little bit of recognition from Sven's Alzheimer-ridden character. Yes, indeed, Alzheimer, is a terrible disease, robbing the person of his least vestige. But what the film makes clear is that the care giver's life is even more stripped and laid bare. Great movie.

Makes me want to start donating to Alzheimer's research.

[suzanna_leslie · 10/10 · 14 October 2006]

I give it a 3 for being so long and drawn out, but I give it a 10 for reminding me and giving me a picture of what can happen when someone is given an EXTREME dose of Alzheimer's. This is a movie that shows you a "worst case" scenario, but given the choice of a long and drawn out condition or short one, anyone, whether caregiver or patient, would choose the later one and try to make the most out of it before they die. This is a good movie for someone who wants to become a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer's and needs a good devil's advocate. This is also a good educational movie for those studying in the mental health field.

Love Cannot Conquer Alzheimers

[ctarlen · 27 March 2002]

I am quite familiar with Alzheimer's Disease. Both my mother and grandmother had it. To me this movie shows that love is useless when it comes to Alzheimers. Eventually the sufferer forgets everything.

While a respectable movie, it is not exactly dramatic or innovative. I felt that I was being told something that I not only already knew, but had lived through twice already and probably will go through myself.

However, I was interested in how the Swedes care for Alzheimer's patients. At least Martin didn't have to die in the horrible nursing home that my mother lived and died in. It helps to have money and socialized medicine, I guess. Do you think I can immigrate to Northern Europe before I get the disease?

Life TV special

[filmalamosa · 4/10 · 28 December 2011]

This movie is just average and unremarkable... it reminded me of a made for TV drama about Alzheimers disease. The acting (or more likely direction of actors) is also average.

The story however is very compelling--a talented music composer reduced to nothing by this dreadful disease. It would really resonate to people who have dealt with Alzheimer disease. It is a dramatic topic but this movie doesn't exploit it--pity.

My only problem with this film is I try to find something a cut above TV fare. As another reviewer said it contains no gems or twists or surprises that might have made it interesting. You can sort of get a glimpse of the director/writers stock values by what they view as completely shocking: a man urinating in public. So what?

That it was nominated for a Swedish Oscar is beyond belief.

Don't recommend.

thoughtful, moving film

[WilliamCKH · 9/10 · 11 March 2009]

In this film, Martin, seems to me, a very lucky guy. Blessed with a talent, fame, fortune, many admirers, a beautiful family and a woman who loves him. The film depicts, very honestly, the pain of dealing with loss, Martin's slow descent into the darkness of Alzheimer's. You could not have asked for more of Barbara as a wife, her slow patience, her physical anguish, her public humiliations, and at the same time dealing with the inner pain of losing a partner This film deals with this situation in a very honest, unsentimental way and it captures the spirit of those strong men and women who are left to endure long after their loved ones have parted.

Moving and worthwhile, if arguably flawed

[runamokprods · 8/10 · 21 July 2011]

A moving film about two late middle aged people (a composer/conductor and a first violinist) who find each other, fall madly in love, leave their marriages, only to have Martin develop Alzheimer's.

The bulk of the film is watching his slow decline, as he slowly disappears, leaving his lover behind.

Tremendously sad, yet somehow also a little cold, not as emotionally impactful as I kept wanting it to be.

The acting is terrific, but there's something both a bit clinical, and a bit manipulative about it. E.g. Martin's attacks too often come at the (too) perfectly dramatic moments. Also, there's no time spent on the wrenching decision for each to leave their earlier marriages, so why include it?

Yet, all that said, it's still a strong, moving experience. A grown up movie about older people in a world with far too few of both.

I cried för minuters in this movie.

[jalm64 · 8/10 · 24 August 2020]

Very very nice movie. So nice. Be prepared to cry. But its nice.

Wollter is excellent, Seldahl is not.

[hante811 · 17 August 2003]

This is a beautiful film, where Sven Wollter makes one of his greatest performances. But I can't see any any artistic reasons to give Viveka Seldahl a guldbagge for her contribution - she makes the lines as if they didn´t really engaged her (more as if she read them aloud from a script). And the language of the female doctor is definitely not natural spoken language. For example: today in Sweden, even doctors don´t say "herr Fischer" (Mr Fischer) to their patients, they say the first name. (Maybe the film makers were influenced by the American way of thinking and talking.) But - as a whole, the film is very well done and definitely worth seeing.