Cinema
Troll-elgen
Walter Fyrst · 1927
Synopsis
In a Norwegian village, it is said that a phantom elk has been escaping hunters for years. Hans, a poor hunter, loves Ingrid, daughter of the rich peasant Hallstein, who prefers the horse dealer Gunnar and mocks him by demanding that he first shoot the elk. According to the Italian presentation of the restoration, a brawl breaks out during a festival and Gunnar is gravely wounded by a knife blow; unable to prove his innocence, Hans flees to the city and becomes a sharpshooter in a circus, where Ingrid joins him.
Context
The film was released on 26 December 1927; it was its director's first feature, adapted from two books by Mikkjel Fønhus, Troll-elgen (1921) and Skoggangsmand (1917). The censors cut scenes judged too violent. Ragnar Westfelt's cinematography was praised; well received on release, the film was nevertheless, according to the Pordenone festival, a financial failure because of its cost, and some images of the elk are said to come from an American wildlife film.
Who it is for
A Norwegian silent film of about a hundred minutes in its restoration, for those interested in the landscapes and the early days of the country's cinema.
Prizes and reception
A critical and popular success in Norway on its release, restored in 4K and presented at Pordenone in 2018.