MARK ORTON: Sweet Land

Mark Orton

Sweet Land

© 2006 Libero, LLC (094922657695)

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Original soundtrack from the motion picture "Sweet Land".

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notes

Winner of the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2005 Hamptons International Film Festival, Sweet Land is a poignant and lyrical celebration of land, love, and the American immigrant experience.

When Lars Torvik’s grandmother Inge dies in 2004, he is faced with a decision – sell the family farm on which she lived since 1920, or cling to the legacy of the land. Seeking advice, he turns to the memory of Inge and the stories that she had passed on to him.

Inge arrives in Minnesota in 1920 to marry a young Norwegian farmer named Olaf but her German heritage and lack of official immigration papers makes her an object of suspicion in the small town, and she and Olaf are forbidden to marry. Alone and adrift, Inge goes to live with the family of Olaf’s friend and neighbor Frandsen and his wife Brownie, where she learns the English language, American ways, and a hard-won independence.

Inge and Olaf slowly come to know each other, and against the backdrop of endless farmland and cathedral skies they fall in love, a man and woman united by the elemental forces of nature. Still unable to marry, they live together openly, despite the scorn of the neighbors and the disapproval of the local minister. But when his friend Frandsen’s farm is threatened by foreclosure, Olaf takes a stand, and the community unites around the young couple, finally accepting Inge as one of their own.
Based on Will Weaver’s short story A Gravestone Made of Wheat and shot on location in Southern Minnesota, Sweet Land is that rare independent feature that uses painterly images and understated performances to tell a universal story of love and discovery. David Tumblety’s glorious magic-hour cinematography recalls classic American art cinema like Days of Heaven, transforming the amber majesty of Southern Minnesota’s farm country into an elegiac metaphor for memory, family, and history.

Featuring supporting performances by veteran performers Ned Beatty, Paul Sand, and Lois Smith, Sweet Land is the story of immigrant America, made by the son of first-generation immigrants themselves.

reviews

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  • Sweet and Lovely...
    author: Teresa Haliburton

    Wonderful music sweetly and lovingly played..! I love the movie, and I love the CD just as much - maybe even more because I can take it with me. (Although I will carry Sweetland, the movie, in my heart for along time to come...) LOVE the Fiddle and toy Piano!

  • Dancing in your heart
    author: Jennie

    This music, like the movie is truly captivating. It makes you feel like you are dancing in your heart. My husband and I are learning to waltz to the beautiful music.

  • Sweet Land
    author: Amanda Dennison

    Wonderful music. Love it so very much. It is so simple, but after a hectic day, it relaxes your mind. Goes along great with the movie! Thanks so much for your effort on this lovely CD:)

  • Sweetland
    author: Paula Kenne

    Wonderful album! This music was so perfect for this movie. I absolutely love both!

  • A wonderful experience worth repeated listening
    author: James Elstrom

    As with any soundtrack, odds are that you've seen the movie and liked the music and that's why you're here. Yes, being able to associate parts of the film with the music helps to get more out of it, but I would recommend this CD to anyone interested in a serene and calming musical experience. The disc is mostly instrumental and the music appears deceptively simple upon first listening but is really rich, with beautiful patterns and intricacies using a combination of an interesting assortment of instruments. (I find myself wanting to own a bass harmonica now.) Most of the tracks are rather short and that disappoints me only because I selfishly want to be able to kick back with them for so much longer. I can't help but relax when listening to this CD and the song "Quiet Breathing" never fails to produce an upswell of emotion and bring a tear to the eye of this big, bear-like man. I bought this for my wife and she loves it but I listen to it just as much. Enjoy!

  • Sweet;amd
    author: joseph Johnson

    Fantastic music! So simple yet so emotionally powerful. Matches the perfertly

  • Like listening to a memory
    author: Margaret Shafer

    A beautiful soundtrack of theme and variation...sweet, haunting, sometime whimsical...like listening to a memory.

  • So wonderful!
    author: Jennifer Stoecker

    The movie and the soundtrack are superb. I don't have time to get out the Thesaurus, so let me just affirm some of the comments so eloquently used by my co-reviewers: rare, wonderful, sweet, spare, moving, calming, beautiful. And thanks to CD Baby for the great service, including the hilarious shipment notification! I am spreading the word, and will definitely order from CD Baby again!

  • Sweetland
    author: Therese

    A very sweet soundtrack for a very sweet movie.

  • We loved this soundtrack!
    author: Paul Schroder

    My wife and I loved the music so much we couldn't wait to place an order for the soundtrack. The work is rare and moving.

  • Sweet Land Soundtrack
    author: Deb Georgitis

    I'm not sure which I liked better-the movie or the soundtrack! Your company was a gem to work with. Thank you!

  • Beautiful
    author: Zoe Poeschl

    I love this CD... the music is so beautiful and calming.

  • author: Jenny

    Absolutely beautiful. Music that touches the soul.

  • author: Laura

    Both the music and the movie were wonderful. The CD case did arrive cracked, but that's okay I suppose. The music is beautiful.

  • Sweet Land
    author: Sue E

    Absolutely love this music! The instrumentals are great! Movie is great too!

  • beautiful
    author: Trevor C

    mmm...beautiful music. Makes me dream of moving from my suburban apartment to a farmhouse on the western MN prairie.

  • Simple music, spare and soothing
    author: veronica a

    Lovely music and effective use of simple instruments (Did I hear a triangle?)

  • Possibly my all time favorite movie!
    author: Lisa Kampa

    I fell in love with the movie Sweet Land - partly because my husband and I bought a small hobby farm in 1990 and can relate to the challenges of living on a farm. This soundtrack is exceptional. I listen to it almost everyday on my drive in to work. The music is haunting. I will be ordering the DVD as soon as it is available. Great movie, soundtrack and collaboration. My highest recommendations!

  • Beautiful!
    author: Jo B.

    The music was so appropriate for this lovely story. Well done!

  • My husband and I both love this soundtrack
    author: Gail

    As soon as I saw this movie I knew I had to get the soundtrack. CD Baby was the only place I could find it. The first week my husband and I were listening to it a couple times a day. I guess the music really speaks to us!

  • Wonderful movie, wonderful soundtrack.
    author: Tara

    This is a wonderful soundtrack full of beautiful music that takes the listener right back to the movie. Perfect movie and perfect music.

  • It brings back memories of Sweet Land...
    author: Peggy Nohner

    Having waited for two years for the movie, I was SO eager to see the it, and was blown away by the scenery and the music. We are friends of the writer, Will Weaver from Bemidji, and our son teaches in Montevideo, so were fortunate to be on the set as Sweet Land was filmed. The music set the mood for the entire movie...as I listen to the soundtrack I can visualize the various scenes in the movie. Great job!

  • Elemental, Haunting, Sublime
    author: Gillette Kempf (Borealis Books)

    I loved this movie so much I had to buy the CD -- and I rarely buy CDs, let alone soundtracks. I adore this CD and listen to it all day at my bookstore. I strongly recommend listening to this CD while sitting in a comfy chair, reading Will Weaver short stories, and sipping coffee (black, made with too many beans).

  • Brings the movie right back
    author: Bob Giovanelli

    This movie is a recent favorite...and after seeing it more than once while it's still in theaters....the music certainly gets to you. Now with the CD soundtrack....the film plays to me again perfectly in memories of moments. And at first I thought the music was just okay...but it certainly sticks to your soul, melding with the lovely film. The best soundtracks are like that....they subconsciously get to you. This got to me...and still does. (That song called QUIET BREATHING is a gem.)

  • Makes me happy
    author: CSJP

    I love this CD and play it repeatedly. It is somehow both energizing and calming and part of it always makes me want to dance. It produces a visceral response not unlike the sort that is attributed to Pachelbel's Canon.

  • Great Soundtrack! Saw the movie twice and loved the music.
    author: Dan and Mo Stores

    The music in this CD is fantastic. It's very relaxing and a treat to listen to.I highly recommend this CD!

  • I love this CD
    author: Jo Anne

    Love the CD, relaxing music,it makes me feel good.

  • author: mary seaborne

    I live in MN, although a native Texan, but saw the movie on the recommendation by a native Minnesotan...it made me happy to be living here, but also gave me an insight into the history of this land. I understand the "reserve" that exists here, based on the settlers. the music fit perfectly with the simplicity of the story and the elegance of the landscape in which it was portrayed. I've played it over and over, especially while walking in zero degree weather. Keeps my mind off of the cold! Lovely music!

  • One of my favorite soundtracks
    author: David Arms

    One of my favorite soundtracks to what is now one of my favorite movies! Both are beautiful works of art.

  • The beauty of the movie, including the soundtrack, will be enjoyed by many, with
    author: James Chenevert

    Having attended the movie Sweet Land with relatives during my annual Christmas-time return to my hometown of Minneapolis, I was struck by the beauty of the story, film, and the soundtrack which fit the story and the individual scenes so well. Everything about the film is exceptional from the acting to the cinematography to the soundtrack; it's one of my favorite films ever and listening to the soundtrack brings it all back.

  • author: Felix

    The cd starts a little slow and the flavor of the initial pieces is slow and somber. The cd is not set up in traditional approach in terms of overall composition of the cd. The melodies are closer to vignettes rather than complete songs but this is a music score for a movie so it is appropriate. That explains why there are over 20 cuts. The melodies are at times poignant and at other times quite uplifting and happy. They all have a folkish sensibility to them which is underscored by the use of traditional acoustic instruments. I saw the movie with my Mom who is in her eighties and she loved the score. I am a follower of the great fingerpickers (Kottke, Hedges, Gulezian, Bensusan and Fahey to name a few) so the music appealed to me as well. I am also a printmaker and after I ordered a copy for my Mom I burned a copy for me to listen to while I work. Mark Orton has successfully focused on a folk presentation and managed to stay away from sounding sugary. Unfortunately, there are too many musicians that have fallen into that Black Hole that is sugary New Age acoustic music.

  • I loved the movie Sweet Land and I loved the music soundtrack,
    author: Shannon

    I loved all the different instruments in this CD. I also liked the traditional folk feel of the music along with a comtemporary sound to it too. I will enjoy this CD for a long time. Thanks

  • Music that grows on your soul
    author: Gary O. Russeth

    A type of music that fit each frame of the movie to make you feel as if you were ackually there in 1919. This CD is User Friendly *****. GOR

  • Deeply moving tone piece
    author: Will Weaver

    I'm the ultimate in biased reviewer--Sweet Land the movie is adapted from one of my short stories--but I love this sound track. Hearing it now on CD makes me realize even more how good and evocative the music is. Thanks, Tinhat Trio and Tom Lieberman.

  • Wonderful CD/Soundtrack - Wonderful Service From CD BABY!
    author: Ellie Kilgore

    I bought the CD for my daughter and I for Christmas...we love it!!! The music is exceptional-just like the movie. The two go hand in hand perfectly. It's wonderful to listen and remember the scene the music corresponds with. Because we are Native Minnesotan's the movie and music really touched our hearts and we are spreading the word to get out and see this work of art! CD Baby did a superb job of getting the CD to us so quickly and in perfect shape. WE LOVE CD BABY. And we love the follow up service they provide! Thanks a million and Blessing in the New Year!!

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