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Today's film was the Swedish film

Jag är nyfiken - en film i gult / I Am Curious (Yellow) (1967)

This and its partner, a similar/sister film (Blue) have just been restored by Criterion. I wanted to see at least one of them again. I got through Yellow and abandoned Blue.

It is hard to get through the outside issues around these films. They were held at customs for obscenity and the appeals ran all the way to the Supreme Court which OK'd their release (actually found for free speech).

There was a lot for the censors to object to. Full frontal nudity over and over, oral sex, sex in public, sex in arguments, makeup sex and even some anal sex. There is no gay or lesbian action although it is suggested here and there.

In actual fact, sexuality is not what the films are about. Most of the film's energy is political. In this out take, they are schtupping each other on the royal palace balcony while a group is singing the national anthem below. Clearly not just a sex scene but a lot of political mockery is involved. It is also funny as much of the film is.

Here is an interview with the director, Vilgot Sjøman by John Lahr.

They are a multilayered docu/drama film within a film experimental work of art which, at least in this day, is rather unremarkable in the sexual or mockery departments. Still, there are few "legit" films with as much full frontal nudity and sex that have been made since then.

It is sort of over the top really and, I think, a part of the director's desire to defuse the sexuality.

Obviously, he had underestimated the American blue nosed capacity for sexual panic and repression. Still alive and well in the new millenium.

The Swedes were famous for this at this time. The first nude sex in an art film that I saw was in 1955. I forget the name. It was pretty sexy. It might still be but there is an extra charge for novelty and that surely was going on then as it was going on in this film.

When I saw Yellow, there was a kind of explosive effect on me. I am sure that it contributed to my coming out. The freedom and casual nature of the sexual contacts between the two lovers was mind blowing. I could do the same and did.

There is a lot of clever political commentary in this film as well. Real interview responses by famous political and religious figures of the time are intercut with the heroine's interviewing. She is "curious" after all.

It is all admirable in a kind of boring way. But I think that this may have had an impact on my thinking at the time as well. It is hard to remember. I do not think that it radicalized me but it surely didn't detract from such a process.

I am glad that I took this look backward. It was a bomb that went off in my life and I can now see the effects.

Great.

I am still curious myself but not enough to see the second film which I hear and read is not that great.

So I will stick with the "gult".

A 3 out of Netflix5.

Labels: films