An Attempt to tap into Life’s Absurdity – Movie Review: A Swedish Love Story

“A Swedish love story”, directed by Roy Anderson, is a compelling film about the first love experience between two teenagers, Pär and Annika. Set in the summer of 1970 in Stockholm, the story features a strongly conveyed social climate of that time in Sweden. While the puppy love is the main focus of the chugging storyline, there are, as a continuous backdrop, details involving a world of dysfunctional adults who never seem to stop complaining about life.

The story weaves around the adolescent romance in a natural and engaging way, unfolding the two teenagers’ shy, awkward efforts to be together. On their first encounter in a garden party of a nursing home, they get attracted to each other, exchanging sidelong furtive glances, allowing the eyes to do all the talking. Though they later chance to meet again on several other occasions, it is only through peer support and encouragement that they finally become friends.

The puppy love, hitherto pure and implicit, soon gives way to their incipient sexual awakening, hence increasing intimacy as they get along. This detail comes as no surprise, considering the earlier description of the moped gang, always seen with a cigarette in the mouth, embracing and kissing in public. Teen sex, as well as smoking and fighting, is probably an indication of their eagerness to reach adulthood. This is already implied in Pär’s mimic smoking in front of the mirror at the start of the movie. However, in their attempts to venture into adulthood, they have apparently lost much of the miraculous grace in their emotional fusion – Are we not aware of the gradual lessening of the glittering charm in Annika’s blue eyes?

On the other hand, the film also draws attention to the dark corners of adulthood by giving a feeling of reality to the lives of the working class and the middle class in a subtle but critical tone. The parents, relatives and friends seem to be moaning endlessly about their lost dreams and failed opportunities. Pär’s grandfather, in the presence of his visiting relatives, declares tearfully his refusal to be discharged from the nursing home as he finds the world a place unfit for lonely people. There is also the floundering aunt of Annika, who keeps lamenting her loneliness and her being deprived of her desired job. Annika’s parents are an unhappy pair; the mother is often in tears while the father is troubled by his financial problems, angrily or even hysterically asserting more than once that “money is the only thing that matters”.

What is behind the “love story” is perhaps an attempt to tap into life’s absurdity at this rebellious time when children without parental care spend far too much time hanging around, getting themselves into trouble. Victimized by their parents’ fecklessness and psychological volatility, the teenagers are doomed to a bleak future. The intention of the movie, therefore, is probably to cast light on the evil consequences of inadequate parental concern rather than impressing the audience with a premature romance.