Elvira Madigan

(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon.)

This really is a beautiful movie, exquisite in detail, gorgeously filmed, directed with great subtlety and intensely focused. Nothing wasted or thrown away here. Everything counts. We feel the forebodings of tragedy first in the straight razor in Sixten's hand as he caresses the back of Elvira's head, and then again there is the knife on their picnics, stark, solid, sharp steel in the paradise of their love. Note too the shots on her belly. The child touches her stomach. She vomits from eating flowers...

To really appreciate this movie it should be understood that it was filmed in the sixties and it represented to that audience something precious and true. Note the anti-war sentiment seemingly tangential to the story of the film, but nonetheless running as a deep current underneath. He was an army deserter, like those in the sixties who fled to Canada to avoid the draft and the body bags in Vietnam. Note his confrontation with his friend from the regiment, a scene that many in the sixties lived themselves. He gave up everything for love, but it really is her story, her choice. She chose a man with a wife and two children, a soldier. She had many other choices, as the friend reminded her, but for her he was the "last one." What they did was wrong, but it was indeed a summer of love, the cold northern winter in the distance, ripe red raspberries and mushrooms to eat and greenery everywhere and the sun brilliant and warm; and then in the next to the last scene with the children when she faints as the child pulls off the blindfold of the game and is surprised to face Elvira's belly, there is just a little snow on the ground, perhaps it is from the last winter, not completely melted.

If you can watch this without a tear in your eye and a melancholy feeling about the nature of human love, you have grown too old. Theirs was a forbidden love, like that of Romeo and Juliet, a tragic love, doomed from the start, which is why the ending of the movie is revealed in the opening credits. Those who think a story is spoiled by knowing the ending, know not the subtle ways of story, of great tales that are told again and again. Knowing the ending only sharpens the senses and heightens the appreciation.

Pia Degermark who plays Elvira, who is a tightrope walker, a girl of gypsies, has beautiful calves (which is all we see of her body), a graceful style and gorgeous eyes, made up in the unmistakable style of the sixties, very dark with long heavily mascara'ed eyelashes. And she is a flower child, a fairy child of the forest, drawn to things earthy and mysterious, to a strong young man and a fortune teller who finds for her only small black spades in her future. In life we chase after butterflies. Sometimes we catch one.

Finally I saw this film on a college campus viewing in 1969 and tried to have a discussion about it with a stranger....big mistake. This is no light-weight film.

Yes there is the storyline fact that he left his wife and children. Also the way they solved their problem is revolting to our western sensibilities who like to find living solutions to problems (with notable exceptions).

But consider the pace of the film, each second of life was dear and sweet, the music gave focus to the sunlight. She was beautiful in youth (the worshiped idol of the 60's and on). He was caught in his love for her, a grasp at life as with the one you love, trapped in the amber of film, forever.

The young couple were living without a plan for the future, not unusual when you're young. Their natural vitality gave a calm pleasure to each segment of dialog free film. A snippet of life savored. One wonders: Is old age our souls' goal?

Yes the audience is practical, steal a chicken, flee the country, do something. And if so how is their love and beauty made to stand before us? Tragedy is necessary.

Now, I'm much older, but still, once every so often I will see an Elvira walk by, I hold my breath and marvel and am pleased that the world still has room for more such Elviras. Grace and beauty.

Since that time, with the perspective from the artists' work I can see a world that would have been only guessed by me, perhaps in a dream; thanks to Elvira Madigan.

(This is NOT a spoiler coming up--it pops up before the opening credits). This takes place in Sweden in 1859. A Swedish army lieutenant named Sixten Sparre (Thommy Berggren) runs away with a famous tightrope walker Hedwig "Elvira" Madigan (Pia Degermark). They committed suicide in a forest in Denmark. This is their story. We meet them when they're already on the run. He abandoned a wife, two kids and his job. They're madly in love but have to keep on the run. They want to live away from society but find that suicide is the only possible way to be together forever.

I've wanted to see this for years. The only time I saw it was on TV ages ago. It was dubbed with a terrible print and so faded that it appeared the film was in black and white! I finally got the Korean DVD and it is GORGEOUS! The color is bright and strong and the cinematography takes your breath away. Seriously--I've seen hundreds of films and this has got to be the most beautiful ever. There's music by Mozart, the couple are both attractive people (Degermark especially is stunning). There's not much of a story but the scenery is so gorgeous you won't care. This also has a brief sex scene with no nudity but it still is very erotic. Also one sequence stands out--they have a fight and Sixten apologizes by floating an apology down a stream to her. I gotta admit--that scene got to me:) This has no rating but would easily get by with a G today.

This is a film for romantics only! Some people (mostly guys) will probably find it corny and/or boring but others (like me) will love it. This was a big hit with teenagers back in 1967 but seems to have faded away. Too bad - it's incredibly beautiful. Recommended highly!

Remarkable sometimes impressionistic photo and some scenes are just so beautiful! Oh I wish I was in his place out on that meadow... After Goyokin this is the most beautiful film I've seen. The story is perhaps a little weak, especially in the need. Very few dialogues. The music is of course good since it's Mozart. 4 out of 5.

My fiance and I just watched Elvira Madigan on FLIX. It's up there with the best of love stories...Love Story, Forever Young & Romeo & Juliet. It's a great movie, and if you're in the mood for a good movie about true love, watch the 1967 Swedish version (with English subtitles) of Elvira Madigan.

One last thing, for those who didn't like this movie, just simply lost touch with what true love means to them.