Director Bille August and ace Scandinavian cameraman Per Holst make the film a visual treat.

Pelle itself, rather surprisingly, is a natural, organic epic, and one that opens a window on a meticulously detailed bygone world that, by film's end, you might feel as though you've visited.

The film is a towering achievement, grueling in its portrayal of a harsh existence yet ultimately an exhilarating experience unlikely to be forgotten.

Looks like an impeccably staged epic, yet colder and more sterile than the tundra. [Full review in Spanish]