The Serpent’s Way

A stirring study of desperation in the impoverished backwoods of 1860s Sweden has been crafted by Bo Widerberg, whose 1983 film, THE MAN FROM MAJORCA, was one of the biggest hits of the 9th CIFF. After the suicide of her father, Tea must pay rent for the small hut where she and her family live. Because Tea is penniless, the landlord chooses to settle the debt in bed, damning Tea to a life of sexual slavery to the cold, self-indulgent demands of both the landlord and later his son. The cruelest cut of all comes when the landlord tires of Tea, now the mother of five, and turns his attention to her 16-year-old daughter. Tea chooses to submit to such brutality all her life, but cannot and will not allow it to continue. A talented cast and compelling cinematography make this a haunting, powerful film.