Offbeat Sjoman film, needs reviving
Vilgot Sjoman is a major director who, like so many others from previous eras, has been largely discarded by film buffs. This is one of his strangest films and is long overdue for video exposure to a new generation.
I saw the film in 1974 during its brief NYC run and amongst thousands of ephemeral pictures this is one that lingers in my memory. Sjoman had already made his way into the history books with I AM CURIOUS, but this strange & sexy black comedy is unique - a sex film cast with opera singers! Since sex films, or at least films containing sex (e.g., BASIC INSTINCT), have a bias towards beautiful people of certain body types, the notion of using both male & female opera performers has got to be up there with the wackiest. Almost like Ken Russell's use of motley rock stars in LISZTOMANIA. But Sjoman's Rabelasian approach benefits from the gimmick, and these particular opera doyens let the maestro have uninhibited, softcore performances.
Sjoman was always fencing with screen taboos, and this film is no exception, but I remember it being a funny, lusty experience. I'm sure the pendulum will swing back one day, and instead of the current list of darlings, a crop of more perceptive film buffs will come along and rediscover the temporarily forgotten all-time Greats & innovators including Sjoman, Teshigahara, Peter Watkins, Jancso, Makavejev, Albicocco, Torre-Nilsson, Rocha and Jarva, to name just a few, who once thrilled us art-house generation fans.
I saw the film in 1974 during its brief NYC run and amongst thousands of ephemeral pictures this is one that lingers in my memory. Sjoman had already made his way into the history books with I AM CURIOUS, but this strange & sexy black comedy is unique - a sex film cast with opera singers! Since sex films, or at least films containing sex (e.g., BASIC INSTINCT), have a bias towards beautiful people of certain body types, the notion of using both male & female opera performers has got to be up there with the wackiest. Almost like Ken Russell's use of motley rock stars in LISZTOMANIA. But Sjoman's Rabelasian approach benefits from the gimmick, and these particular opera doyens let the maestro have uninhibited, softcore performances.
Sjoman was always fencing with screen taboos, and this film is no exception, but I remember it being a funny, lusty experience. I'm sure the pendulum will swing back one day, and instead of the current list of darlings, a crop of more perceptive film buffs will come along and rediscover the temporarily forgotten all-time Greats & innovators including Sjoman, Teshigahara, Peter Watkins, Jancso, Makavejev, Albicocco, Torre-Nilsson, Rocha and Jarva, to name just a few, who once thrilled us art-house generation fans.
- lor_
- Jul 19, 2010