Erotikon

Summary

Mauritz Stiller’s 1920 masterwork, Erotikon, functions as a sophisticated dissection of marital ennui and the polyamorous impulses of the Swedish elite. The narrative centers on Irene, the neglected spouse of Leo Charpentier—a man whose passion for beetles far exceeds his interest in matrimonial intimacy. As Irene navigates a flirtatious orbit around the hedonistic aviator Baron Felix, she concurrently grapples with a latent, perhaps more profound, affinity for Preben, her husband’s confidant. This domestic carousel is further complicated by Leo’s own questionable preoccupation with his niece, Marthe. Stiller constructs a visual symphony of leers, glances, and calculated indiscretions, transforming the screen into a playground of subversive wit that predates the Lubitsch touch. The film eschews the moralizing heavy-handedness typical of the era, opting instead for a celebratory look at the complexities of human desire and the fragility of the nuclear family unit.

Synopsis

EROTIKON surely pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable on the screen in 1920: Irene, the bored wife of a distracted entomologist, pursues a womanizing aviator, but she may actually be in love with Preben, her husband's best friend. Meanwhile, her husband seems to be getting unusually close with his own niece. Stiller obviously delights in teasing his audience with each scandalous plot twist and every salacious leer, and the result is a deliciously subversive comedy that was very much ahead of its time.