SALON

Tuesday, Apr 16, 2013 7:15 PM UTC

Discovered: Crackerjack Danish political drama “Borgen”

Stephen King called it the best show on TV; now you can watch it legally! Also: "Badlands" and a sexy "Chambermaid"

By

Topics: Dvd reviews, Our Picks, Movies, home video, TV, Borgen,

Discovered: Crackerjack Danish political drama Birgitte Hjort Sørensen in "Borgen" (Credit: Mike Kollöffel)

Each episode of the Danish TV series “Borgen” begins with a quotation from Machiavelli’s “The Prince,” and as the show proceeds, Denmark’s first female prime minister, an attractive and immensely likable moderate named Birgitte Nyborg (Sidse Babett Knudsen), gets a systematic education in that collection of cynical wisdom. One could almost say that “Borgen” is a lesson built on the old saw about power corrupting and absolute power corrupting absolutely – but Birgitte is the head of a shaky coalition government in a European social democracy, not a tyrant, and what keeps us watching is the knowledge that she always has good intentions.

No doubt Americans by the thousands have found ways to watch “Borgen,” whether strictly legal or not, since Stephen King declared it his favorite TV show of 2012. Now the first season of this intimate and addictive political drama is finally available on Region 1 DVD, so no mastery of streams and torrents, or ownership of an all-region player, is necessary. I for one am grateful: This is an immensely more satisfying and realistic show than the American version of “House of Cards,” not least because it depicts retail politics in a small European country with its own distinctive traditions, where left-right tensions often wear a deceptive veil of civility.

A brainchild of veteran Danish TV showrunner Adam Price, “Borgen” includes some of the same creative team as the original version of “The Killing” (aka “Forbrydelsen”) and is built on a similar level of unshowy but exemplary craftsmanship. If Knudsen is very much the center, playing a woman who parlays a deadlocked election into unexpected opportunity, and then has to find out in a hurry if she possesses the spine for political leadership, there are any number of other terrific actors in the cast: Pilou Asbæk as the hard-boiled spin doctor who sneakily becomes the show’s conscience, Peter Mygind as a defeated left-wing leader with no conscience whatever, Lars Knutzon as Birgitte’s rumpled No. 2 and Emil Poulsen as Birgitte’s professorial husband, who ever so slightly resents her newfound prominence. I’m a little less sold on Birgitte Hjort Sørensen as the young TV reporter abruptly thrust into the anchorwoman’s chair – the parallel to the main story is a bit too on-the-nose – but her situation also grows more complicated as it moves along.

This show isn’t a creation of immense style or heart-stopping suspense; it’s more about straightforward but subtle dramatic urgency, and you need to give it a little time to build cumulative force. Watch at least the first two episodes (both directed by veteran Danish filmmaker Søren Kragh-Jacobsen) and you won’t be able to stop. I assume that distributor MHz Networks has seasons 2 and 3 on the way – now what about a Region 1 deal for the crackerjack German crime series “In Face of the Crime” (“Im Angesicht des Verbrechens”), which is even harder to find?

Also new on home video: Maybe you’ve just seen “To the Wonder” and want a Terrence Malick refresher course – or maybe you pine for the days when Malick was a (marginally) more conventional American filmmaker? Either way, it all started with the extraordinary 1973 “Badlands,” starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek as a pair of amoral young people lost in the God-haunted or God-forsaken Western landscape. Now available in a 4K digital restoration from the Criterion Collection, with a making-of documentary and interviews with producer Ed Pressman and editor Billy Weber (DVD, Blu-ray, on-demand).

Apparently both Graham Greene and Fritz Lang later disavowed “Ministry of Fear,” the latter’s 1944 film version of Greene’s wartime spy novel. It has an orphan status in Lang’s confusing and multinational career, and I for one had never seen it. But gosh darn it, in a new Criterion edition “Ministry of Fear” turns out to be a terrific little paranoid thriller very much in the vein of Hitchcock’s “39 Steps,” with Ray Milland as a possibly crazy man on the run. It’s suffused with all sorts of Freudian dream imagery and rendered in magnificent black-and-white (DVD, Blu-ray, on-demand).

Speaking of little-seen films by great directors, “Diary of a Chambermaid” is no doubt much better known in its 1964 version by Luis Buñuel, starring Jeanne Moreau – but Jean Renoir had already directed a Hollywood version 18 years earlier, adapted from the Octave Mirbeau novel by Burgess Meredith (who also produced and co-starred). This 1946 “Chambermaid,” now on disc from Olive Films, certainly doesn’t rank among the best films of Renoir’s entire career – it’s pretty soundstagey, and Paulette Goddard’s flibbertigibbet lead character is off-putting at first – but it might be his most well-integrated American picture. Stick with it and it delivers that distinctive Renoir flavor of wry tragicomedy and sunny cynicism. (It ultimately carries more than a few echoes of “Rules of the Game,” Renoir’s pre-war masterpiece of class conflict.) Meredith is terrifically strange as the title character’s persistent but doomed suitor, and Francis Lederer nearly steals the show as an evil, fascist-flavored butler who comes off much darker than the movie around him. (DVD, Blu-ray, on-demand)

There are numerous home-video editions of the 1924 Douglas Fairbanks classic “The Thief of Bagdad” – probably the most elaborate special-effects fantasy of its day – on the market, as the film is now in the public domain. Without disparaging other available versions, the 2013 release from the Cohen Film Collection (a new player in vintage and classic home video) is gorgeous to behold, newly restored from two original 35mm negatives and incorporating the color tints and tones of the film’s initial release. It also features a period-appropriate score from Carl Davis and the Philharmonia Orchestra (although I will submit that silent-film music is a contentious arena where I claim no expertise). Best of all, Fairbanks’ thrilling athleticism, the expressionistic sets of William Cameron Menzies and Raoul Walsh’s direction have never looked better. Orientalist kitsch? Yes, absolutely – for the whole family to enjoy! (DVD, Blu-ray, on-demand)

Andrew O

More Andrew O'Hehir.

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

7 motorist-friendly camping sites

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 9

Sponsored Post

  • White River National Forest via Lower Crystal Lake, Colorado
    For those OK with the mainstream, White River Forest welcomes more than 10 million visitors a year, making it the most-visited recreation forest in the nation. But don’t hate it for being beautiful; it’s got substance, too. The forest boasts 8 wilderness areas, 2,500 miles of trail, 1,900 miles of winding service system roads, and 12 ski resorts (should your snow shredders fit the trunk space). If ice isn’t your thing: take the tire-friendly Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway — 82 miles connecting the towns of Meeker and Yampa, half of which is unpaved for you road rebels.
    fs.usda.gov/whiteriveryou


    Image credit: Getty

  • Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest via Noontootla Creek, Georgia
    Boasting 10 wildernesses, 430 miles of trail and 1,367 miles of trout-filled stream, this Georgia forest is hailed as a camper’s paradise. Try driving the Ridge and Valley Scenic Byway, which saw Civil War battles fought. If the tall peaks make your engine tremble, opt for the relatively flat Oconee National Forest, which offers smaller hills and an easy trail to the ghost town of Scull Shoals. Scaredy-cats can opt for John’s Mountain Overlook, which leads to twin waterfalls for the sensitive sightseer in you.
    fs.usda.gov/conf


    Image credit: flickr/chattoconeenf

  • Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area via Green Road, Michigan
    The only national forest in Lower Michigan, the Huron-Mainstee spans nearly 1 million acres of public land. Outside the requisite lush habitat for fish and wildlife on display, the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is among the biggest hooks for visitors: offering beach camping with shores pounded by big, cerulean surf. Splash in some rum and you just might think you were in the Caribbean.
    fs.usda.gov/hmnf


    Image credit: umich.edu

  • Canaan Mountain via Backcountry Canaan Loop Road, West Virginia
    A favorite hailed by outdoorsman and author Johnny Molloy as some of the best high-country car camping sites anywhere in the country, you don’t have to go far to get away. Travel 20 miles west of Dolly Sods (among the busiest in the East) to find the Canaan Backcountry (for more quiet and peace). Those willing to leave the car for a bit and foot it would be remiss to neglect day-hiking the White Rim Rocks, Table Rock Overlook, or the rim at Blackwater River Gorge.
    fs.usda.gov/mnf


    Image credit: Getty

  • Mt. Rogers NRA via Hurricane Creek Road, North Carolina
    Most know it as the highest country they’ll see from North Carolina to New Hampshire. What they may not know? Car campers can get the same grand experience for less hassle. Drop the 50-pound backpacks and take the highway to the high country by stopping anywhere on the twisting (hence the name) Hurricane Road for access to a 15-mile loop that boasts the best of the grassy balds. It’s the road less travelled, and the high one, at that.
    fs.usda.gov/gwj


    Image credit: wikipedia.org

  • Long Key State Park via the Overseas Highway, Florida
    Hiking can get old; sometimes you’d rather paddle. For a weekend getaway of the coastal variety and quieter version of the Florida Keys that’s no less luxe, stick your head in the sand (and ocean, if snorkeling’s your thing) at any of Long Key’s 60 sites. Canoes and kayaks are aplenty, as are the hot showers and electric power source amenities. Think of it as the getaway from the typical getaway.
    floridastateparks.org/longkey/default.cfm


    Image credit: floridastateparks.org

  • Grand Canyon National Park via Crazy Jug Point, Arizona
    You didn’t think we’d neglect one of the world’s most famous national parks, did you? Nor would we dare lead you astray with one of the busiest parts of the park. With the Colorado River still within view of this cliff-edge site, Crazy Jug is a carside camper’s refuge from the troops of tourists. Find easy access to the Bill Hall Trail less than a mile from camp, and descend to get a peek at the volcanic Mt. Trumbull. (Fear not: It’s about as active as your typical lazy Sunday in front of the tube, if not more peaceful.)
    fs.usda.gov/kaibab


    Image credit: flickr/Irish Typepad

  • As the go-to (weekend) getaway car for fiscally conscious field trips with friends, the 2013 MINI Convertible is your campground racer of choice, allowing you and up to three of your co-pilots to take in all the beauty of nature high and low. And with a fuel efficiency that won’t leave you in the latter, you won’t have to worry about being left stranded (or awkwardly asking to go halfsies on gas expenses).


    Image credit: miniusa.com

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 9

Related Videos

Comments

 9 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

vote
Let's Stop Screwing Around and Impeach James Clapper: After lying to Congress about all the different ways the NSA's spying on us, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper lies about how he lied. Call the White House at 202 456-1111 and Tell Obama to Get Rid of Clapper
493 points494 points | 24 comments
vote
Let's Stop Screwing Around and Impeach James Clapper: After lying to Congress about all the different ways the NSA's spying on us, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper lies about how he lied. Call the White House at 202 456-1111 and Tell Obama to Get Rid of Clapper
386 points387 points | 30 comments
vote
Yes, there is a better search engine (1998)
93 points94 points | 26 comments
vote
Machiavelli doesn’t belong to the 1 percent | "The Prince" is oft-quoted on Wall Street, but its author was a hero of the working class who despised elites
91 points92 points | 33 comments
vote
Let's Stop Screwing Around and Impeach James Clapper: After lying to Congress about all the different ways the NSA's spying on us, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper lies about how he lied. Call the White House at 202 456-1111 and Tell Obama to Get Rid of Clapper
85 points86 points | 9 comments

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "The Joker": Laughing at life's deepest sorrows