1920 / 106m - Sweden
Comedy, Romance
1.5*/5.0*
Erotikon poster

Watches

February 25, 2021

1.5*/5.0*

A classic Swedish comedy. It's not a genre that immediately makes me think of Swedish cinema, but after a series of less than successful silent Swedish dramas, I welcomed a lighter film. The result isn't a marked improvement, but it's at least an easier watch and less of a drag to get trough.

What immediately jumps out is that the performances feel a lot more natural, a bonus since this isn't a true slapstick comedy. It's more of an extended love triangle with early traces of screwball and situational comedy. Not exactly preferred niches, but it's quite neat to stumble upon this in a film this old.

The long theater production in the middle is a small highlight, so are the soothing score and the rather calm vibe, but the film is at least 30 minutes too long and with little in the way of climaxes it becomes quite repetitive and monotone. But it's an interesting watch, certainly for people who love to trace influences down to their earliest appearances.