Rent A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (2014)

3.0 of 5 from 286 ratings
1h 35min
Rent A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (aka En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron) Online DVD & Blu-ray Rental
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Synopsis:
The final part of his highly acclaimed 'Living' trilogy, Roy Andersson's 'A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence' takes another sly, humorous and wholly original look at the absurdity of life. Two travelling salesman who trade novelty items traipse glumly from one joke shop to another failing to make a living, teacher-student relationships repeatedly become inappropriate at a flamenco dance lesson, and King Charles XII of Sweden drops by a bar with an 18th century army in tow, looking for a lover and a modern day peasant to punish.
This is the skewed and unique world of Roy Andersson where disparate segments of humanity are exhibited and coalesce to form a poignant and darkly funny commentary on society and how we should ultimately embrace it.
Actors:
, , Viktor Gyllenberg, , Jonas Gerholm, , , Roger Olsen Likvern, Mats Ryden,
Directors:
Producers:
Pernilla Sandström
Writers:
Roy Andersson
Others:
Roy Andersson
Aka:
En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron
Studio:
Artificial Eye Film Company Ltd.
Genres:
Comedy
Collections:
10 Films to Watch If You Like: Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Award Winners, Lions on the Lido
Countries:
Sweden
Awards:

2014 Venice Film Festival Golden Lion

BBFC:
Release Date:
13/07/2015
Run Time:
95 minutes
Languages:
Swedish Dolby Digital 2.0, Swedish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:
English
DVD Regions:
Region 2
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen 1.66:1
Colour:
Colour
BBFC:
Release Date:
13/07/2015
Run Time:
99 minutes
Languages:
Swedish LPCM Stereo, Swedish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles:
English
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen 1.66:1
Colour:
Colour
BLU-RAY Regions:
B

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Reviews (7) of A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence

Fatally flawed - A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence review by CP Customer

Spoiler Alert
22/08/2015

This film won't be everyone's cup of tea. It's slow-moving and fundamentally pointless, which is what you'd expect from absurdist cinema. But for all that I was quite enjoying the short, interlinked scenes, the two salesmen slightly reminiscent of Little Britain's Andy and Lou.

But towards the end of the film I was shocked and sickened by a scene quite out of context with the others. This showed a group of British colonial soldiers whipping and herding African tribespeople into a large brass cylinder, then lighting a fire underneath it. Unlike the rest of the film, the dialogue was in English.

Apparently this was a message about a Swedish company that had, apparently, caused the poisoning of hundreds of people in Chile. The message was lost on me and I was disgusted that the Swedish film-makers chose to depict the soldiers as British instead of Swedish. This sort of thing is expected from Hollywood (such as the church-burning in The Patriot) but to see it coming from Sweden - a country with a pretty shameful wartime history in the 20th century - is intolerable.

3 out of 6 members found this review helpful.

concern over previous review - A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence review by CK

Spoiler Alert
07/09/2015

I am not a fan of abstract cinema. Not even Monty Python, so I would not normally do a review for this film. However, given the comments in the previous review, bearing in mind that the director was making a political statement I would like to suggest that the use of English (a second language many Swedes understand) to suggest "them and us" in a film made in 2014 after the previous 5+ years of Sweden's relationship with the English speaking world need not be taking as a personal insult.

I do not expect the British media to remind the British of some less glorious moments in British history but that should not be an excuse for forgetting and rewriting history. Therefore, we should allow other nations to deploy the same stance of:-" that is what "THEY" do. "WE" would never do that". As indeed most people would not ..... unless, perhaps, ordered to do so by "THEM" .

The scenes portraying the actions of the Swedish King are not flattering and they precede the scene referred to. I am sure everyone already holds their own personal opinions as to the ethics behind the actions of the people leading certain corporations and armies.

2 out of 4 members found this review helpful.

only for the despairing - A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence review by hp

Spoiler Alert
13/03/2016

Although I enjoyed his earlier film in this set, songs from the second floor, there was something more humorous about it. This one was Beckett at his bleakest: way too down for me and I came away feeling a bit dismal. Not sure there were enough ideas to sustain a full length film - a hint of re-editing outtakes from the previous films?

I am sure you can find something better

1 out of 2 members found this review helpful.

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