Under the Sun

Under the Sun

Year: 1998

Runtime: 130 mins

Language: Swedish

Director: Colin Nutley

RomanceDrama

After his mother’s death, Olof remains on his family farm, though he cannot read or write and relies on his younger friend Erik for afternoon assistance. Erik, a former sailor who boasts about countless affairs, helps Olof. When Olof places an ad for a housekeeper, city‑dweller Ellen arrives, and over the summer both Olof’s affection and Erik’s longing intensify.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Under the Sun yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Under the Sun (1998)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Under the Sun (1998). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Mid-1950s (1956)

The story unfolds in the 1950s, a postwar era marked by traditional rural life and modest progress. The reference to a transatlantic ship collision anchors the year to 1956, giving the film a specific historical moment. Life on the farm moves with seasonal rhythms while characters confront secrets that surface in a changing world. Communication is limited by age and literacy, heightening the tension.

Location

Sweden, rural family farm

An isolated family farm forms the film's core, set in the Swedish countryside. The old farmstead stands in a quiet village, with a local newspaper as a key link to the outside world. The surrounding landscape—fields, roads, and seasonal changes—frames the growing bond between Ellen and Olof. The farm serves as both sanctuary and stage for secrets to unfold.

🇸🇪 Sweden 🌾 Rural life on a farm 🏞️ Countryside setting

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:04

Main Characters – Under the Sun (1998)

Meet the key characters of Under the Sun (1998), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Ellen Lind (Helena Bergström)

The enigmatic outsider who takes over the farm's business and stirs a deep romance with Olof. She bears a quiet resilience and a willingness to cross social lines, while concealing a complicated past. Ellen's departure and later return force a reckoning with truth and loyalty.

💞 Romantic lead 🌟 Outsider 🧭 Loyal

Olof (Rolf Lassgård)

A gentle, illiterate farmer living in isolation on the family farm. He relies on others to manage the business and faces vulnerability in his relationship with Ellen. Olof's longing and dependence expose the gaps between perception and reality.

🧑‍🌾 Farmer 🕰️ Aging 💔 Vulnerable

Erik Jonsson (Johan Widerberg)

Olof's young, worldly friend who handles the farm's affairs and treats Ellen with suspicion. He is boastful about past exploits and drives the conflict by provoking Ellen. Erik's actions reveal how envy and judgment can destabilize love.

🎭 Suspicion ⚓ Sailor 🗣️ Confidant

Narrator (Rikard Wolff)

The voice of the film that frames events with a reflective, if sparse, narration. The narrator shapes how the audience perceives the moral stakes and the passage of time.

🗣️ Narration 🕊️ Reflection

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:04

Major Themes – Under the Sun (1998)

Explore the central themes of Under the Sun (1998), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💞 Love and Trust

A newcomer disrupts a quiet farm life, igniting a fragile romance between Ellen and Olof. Trust is tested as Erik suspects Ellen of deceit, and the couple must decide whether their bond can survive misreading intentions and social scrutiny. The forged note and subsequent reunion reveal how love can endure even when truth is imperfect. The film centers on choosing forgiveness and rebuilding trust.

📚 Illiteracy & Communication

Olof's illiteracy creates dependence on others and adds a layer of fragility to intimate moments. Miscommunication drives conflict, as a handwritten note can alter relationships and mislead those around him. Ellen's ability to read the note ultimately becomes a catalyst for truth and reconciliation. The theme emphasizes how literacy shapes agency and connection.

🔁 Second Chances

The narrative builds toward a second chance as Ellen returns and reads Olof's confession, leading to their reunion. The story suggests that love can survive flawed choices and imperfect honesty. The ending offers a quiet redemption, with forgiveness allowing the couple to start anew on the farm. The ship's distant tragedy underscores the fragility of life and relationships.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:04

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about quiet rural life like Under the Sun

Gentle stories of love and loneliness set against rural backdrops.If you liked the gentle, melancholic pace of Under the Sun, explore these similar movies. They capture the quiet beauty and emotional isolation of rural life, often centered on themes of love, grief, and the search for connection in a slow, patient narrative style.

melancholicquietpatientlonelyhopefulruralreflectiveintimate

Narrative Summary

These narratives typically center on isolated characters in rural environments, often dealing with grief or loneliness. A catalyst, such as a new arrival, disrupts their quiet existence, leading to a slow-burn relationship that must overcome personal vulnerabilities and secrets to find a fragile hope.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on low-intensity, character-driven stories set in rural landscapes. They possess a melancholic, reflective tone, use slow pacing to build emotional intimacy, and resolve with a bittersweet or hopeful feeling that feels earned rather than triumphant.

Movies about found family and forgiveness like Under the Sun

Stories where emotional honesty and shared struggles create new bonds.Find more movies like Under the Sun that explore the theme of found family. These films feature characters overcoming personal vulnerabilities and betrayals to form deep, healing connections, often resulting in bittersweet but hopeful endings about the power of forgiveness.

hopefulheartfeltvulnerableforgivingemotionalintimatebittersweetconnected

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a lonely or grieving protagonist whose life is changed by the arrival of an outsider. Secrets and vulnerabilities are revealed, creating a crisis of trust. The story's resolution hinges on forgiveness and the choice to build a new, chosen family despite past hurt.

Why These Movies?

This thread connects films that share a central theme of characters forming deep, non-familial bonds through shared vulnerability. They typically have a medium emotional weight, focus on themes of betrayal and forgiveness, and conclude with a bittersweet but hopeful feeling about human connection.

Unlock the Full Story of Under the Sun

Don't stop at just watching — explore Under the Sun in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Under the Sun is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Under the Sun Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Under the Sun, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Under the Sun Summary

Under the Sun Timeline

Track the full timeline of Under the Sun with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Under the Sun Timeline

Under the Sun Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Under the Sun that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Under the Sun Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Under the Sun

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Under the Sun: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Under the Sun

Similar Movies to Under the Sun

Discover movies like Under the Sun that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.