Flickan från Värmland: A slow trip to the city

Is it worth your time?

If you like movies that feel like dusty photographs, maybe. If you need pacing that doesn't drag, stay away. This is for people who enjoy watching characters just… walk around Stockholm in 1920s clothes.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Flickan från Värmland (1931) through its definitive frames.

It’s not exactly The Cowboy and the Lady, that is for sure. It feels way more intimate, like a secret someone is telling you over a bad cup of coffee.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Flickan från Värmland (1931) through its definitive frames.

The Vibe

Erik is just a guy in love. That is the whole engine of the thing. He goes to Stockholm, and the city doesn't really care that he is there. You can feel the cold air through the screen. It is a bit lonely.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Flickan från Värmland (1931) through its definitive frames.

There is this one shot of a train station that goes on for a lifetime. I think I counted three people just standing there, doing nothing. It’s weirdly peaceful. Why did they leave that in? Maybe they forgot to yell cut.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Flickan från Värmland (1931) through its definitive frames.

Random Notes:

• Greta’s hat is honestly a character on its own.
• The dialogue is sparse. Sometimes people just stare at each other. It’s awkward. I liked it.
• There is a scene near a staircase that made me think of The Price of Silence. Same kind of heavy, silent tension.
• The ending? It’s not a bang. It’s more of a shrug.

The acting is very… theatrical. Everyone is acting with their whole bodies, if that makes sense. It’s not subtle. Sometimes it feels like they’re shouting at the back row of a theater rather than a camera lens.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Flickan från Värmland (1931) through its definitive frames.

I kept waiting for some big city disaster to hit Erik. But the movie keeps it small. It’s just misunderstandings and missed connections. It feels real in a way that modern movies about love rarely do.

It’s not perfect. The middle section just kinda sits there. It does not go anywhere for about fifteen minutes. I found myself checking the time, then realized I didn't actually care what time it was. That is probably a good sign.

If you have an hour to kill and want to feel like you’re drifting through a Swedish winter, put it on. Just don't expect it to explain itself to you.