The Great Adventure - Way of Nature
Thoughts On: The Great Adventure (Det Stora Äventyret, 1953)
Seasons revolve around a Swedish farm.
Cinematic magic. There are few cinemas that sound as good as classical Swedish cinema; old Russian and Japanese cinemas come close, you could perhaps throw British film in there too, but I think the Swedes win it for me. The Great Adventure uses stunning documentary footage of various critters and creatures from the Swedish woodlands to contrive a winding (hyperlink even) narrative of the changing seasons. It has two key chapters within; one of the farmer and the foxes, which sees humans conflict with nature, and then one of the kids and the otter, which sees humans treasure and grow within it. Both are underpinned by man's manipulation - technically and narratively - yet are eclipsed by the persistence of nature itself, ultimately seeing humanity as part of its greater cycle. The manifestation of this on film is magisterial; there are few images of forests, its life, snow, morning light, spiderwebs, trees and furry, feathered beings that can equate to the quaint beauty submitted to film with The Great Adventure. It bears no pretence of being a documentary, but exudes a verisimilitude of an infectious and genuine character that is entirely precious. A hidden gem from a lost time that is as captivating as it is endearing, The Great Adventure is one of my best finds.
