Hunger (1966)
AKA: Sult; Svält
Directed by: Henning Carlsen
Starring: Per Oscarsson (Writer), Gunnel Lindblom (Ylajali), Birgitte Federspiel (Ylajali’s sister)
Country: Denmark, Scandinavian Cinema, European Cinema
Language: Danish, Swedish, Norwegian (English Subtitles)
Runtime: 01:51:45
Genres: Misery-Depressing, Based on a True Story
Plot – Spoilers:
A young writer is hungry, broke and without a place to sleep having been kicked out of his boarding. He is so poor that he returns to a pawnbroker to retrieve a pencil stub he’d forgotten in the coat he just sold. But despite his abject poverty, misery and starvation-induced hallucinations/delusions, he retains an immense pride in his goodness and philanthropy. He has elegant handwriting and a clear taste for the fine, but in his current situation, his delusions of nobility and an elevated class make him come across a fool. Every time he’s able to scrap together a few coins that buy him a meal, he finds an excuse to give them away (to the point of frustration for the viewer). Even if you’ve been in a phase like his and can empathize with his opinions, it is hard to sympathize with him, unless you’re right now in his phase. In which case of course, you probably would not be in a position to be watching him.
Hunger is based on the novel Sult by Nobel-winner Knut Hamsun who brought his own experiences as a struggling writer into his book. For fans of Dostoevsky, this is possibly as great a cinematic dramatization of a Dostoevsky work you can expect, with Per Oscarsson putting on a show of pure mastery.
this was food for thought
Bought and read the book after seeing a reprint of it reviewed on Read All About It, a UK television literary arts prorgamme, from almost fifty years ago, and felt an immediate affinity with the main character – given I was a wandering street photographer in my twenties then, and not a successful one either. Now I’m producing a book of pictures from that time, and mention Knut Hamsun in it. I’ve never seen this (or any film version) of the novel until now. It was very haunting and gave me an occasional shiver watching it. So thanks for showing it. As a by the way, and for those a bit confused by the story, there’s a good interview with the director Henning Carlsen on YouTube which may help – or not as the case may be.
How can you call it a “dramatization of a Dostoevsky work” straight after you have said it is based on a novel by Knut Hamsun? A total non sequitur.
It’s OK, but it would have been better if there had been more pussy pounding . . . Like I said it’s good, but it just would have been better if he had been pounding more pussy.
reminded me of Poor Folk by Dostoievski
this is singlehandedly the most boring film i’ve ever seen in my entire life. i have no idea what people see in it. he is really boring.
I have to say that I enjoyed the movie, but it is very unique,,, I was waiting for something effed up the entire time and it never happened… Also it gave me Lynchian vibes for the wrong reasons I think, but I may be to hedonisitic to be creeped out or whatever from this movie.
All in all pretty good but I’d only recommend this movie for Arthouse fans, I’m somehow not satisfied with this movie, especially the totally open ending.
If someoene can explain to me WHY this movie is effed up, please do.
Still a good movie, beautifully acted, but not what I was hoping for.
8/10 generally, but only 3/5 for this BEUTIFULLY effed up site.
I love you so much @effedupmovies-team, please keep posting for ever, over more than a year now I’ve had sooo much fun with your movie library!!!
If you were moved by this film adaptation of Knut Hamsun’s “Hunger”, find yourself a copy of the book it was based on. I was drawn in and affected by it. Extremely strong work, as was this faithful and moving film adaptation of it.
Depressing. A glimpse into the future for the next generation if the globalists and democrats get their way. Really good movie.
yeah, interesting flick about mental illness, or whatever this guys problem is. so real. I grew up with people somewhat like this… loved it, thanks again effed up
Hmmmm
Not sure why I’ve never seen this… Captivating and nicely shot… Could have been made last year it’s that well editied.
A real gritty and sad forlorn tale of abject poverty. His eating dust out of the digs cupboards is a sad a moment in cinema as any.
For a film at nearly two hours in length where not a lot actually happens it was tense and fast paced.
Not for gore hounds.. a thinking man’s Leighs Naked.
9/10
No this is not a story of human misery and hardship but a story of a man with ten counts of stupidity! Social realism my ass
Thank you for posting a different theme like this. Not just about sex, gore, insanity and other fuck up shenanigans are considered effed up, sometimes real human misery like hunger/poverty is more hard to watch.
extremely beautiful loved every minute of it