1865

I watched the first ten minutes and gave up! Very strange film IMO.

Phew, not just me then. Its just that I adored Borgen et al and was looking forward to having something to get my teeth into.

DH was waxing lyrical about watching it and fell asleep within minutes, so definitely not you!

My husband was watching it too and I had to ask him to turn the sound off, the voices were so strident and harsh. Some seemed to speak german.
It was disappointing, not just because of Borgen, but because I once had a Danish friend, and I felt that our cultures were quite close. We got on so well.
I've just looked it up on Google, and it seems to be about a very important war in 1865 between Denmark and Prussia/Austria (not yet united into Germany.)
Maybe I'll read it up and watch next week.

pedant alert
it was 1864 not 1865 - but still not worth the effort
shame as BBC4 is usually well worth it for the more cerebral programmes.

@TriciaF - The main Scandiwegian lingos - Danish, Swedish, Norwegian are in fact Low German, like Dutch and, up to a point, English.

Ooops silly me!

sorry Hildaw I am prone to bouts of pedantry - my DIL says I am a tad obsessive compulsive about things and it has been noticed that my grandson will align the remote control square on the arm of the chair

mollie65....I don't think this is pedantry....this is actually accuracy! I'd got the date wrong!

We recorded it to watch later, I was hoping it would be good....obviously not.

I loved it!

I think you have to know a bit about the history of their wars, as opposed to ours, to know what is going on. Also, the dubbing wasn't brilliant. I speak german and a little Swedish, Between the two I could tell that not all of what was being said was being shown on the screen.

Monrad was a manic depressive. Which was why he appeared to be so odd.

don't let me put you off rosesarered - its just not what I expected.

(Spoiler Alert) there is a narrative voice to part of it (there are two threads to the drama - present day and the 19thC) that lets you know its all going to end badly, which is never a good thing for me. The feeling of impeding doom is also set up in many of the other scenes, I just knew the boy was going to be accused of stealing and that the returning officer (son of the Baron) was going to be a weirdo (with shades of unhealthy interest in a young girl) - so for me its not going to work. I do not mind black hearted political shenanagins (Borgen) or even an out and out murder (The Killing et al) - but the idea that its all going to end so bleakly is just not my idea of Saturday evening 'entertainment'.
The other thing that put me off was the three boys in the barn. I am more than happy to view a good old fashioned bit of 'rolling in the hay' but it was just weird for weird sake...served no real purpose as far as I could see and left me feeling rather uncomfortable...as if I'd seen something I should not have. Or perhaps I AM too old!

The barn scene certain was decidedly weird, and I agree HildaW, made me squirm....I join you with being too old if that's the reason

The bits I did see seemed all too black for comfortable viewing even if it was based on fact!

I thought it was really good. I really did NOT like the 'jam-jar' scene - anyone who watched it will know what I'm talking about, but I'll keep following the story.

It was the age of complete innocence back then, though.

I'm enjoying this, which has prompted me to read up a bit about Danish history.