The acting in TWO LIVES is top notch, not to mention the beautiful Liv Ulmann playing-get this-a great-grandmother superbly. The film is based on true events; i.e., the Nazi taking of Nordic infants to replenish Aryan blood with the post-war pack of returned children infiltrated with communist spies. The best scenes are in the middle of the film when we squirm and cringe watching Juliene Krohler struggling to keep her deception afloat. Sven Nodrin is also great as the husband suspending disbelief to keep his marriage afloat. Notwithstanding, the attempts to persuade us to forgive Katrine's deceit arrive too late in the film and the violence at the end, in hindsight, appears unnecessary to achieve TWO LIVES' ends. More tragic effect is actually achieved by the scene of Ullmann's empty eyes staring through the window. I forgive the shortcomings at the end of the movie, however, for the suspense and intrigue generated.
