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6.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Vaermlaenningarna remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, it depends on how much you enjoy black-and-white dramas from 1932. If you are a fan of old Swedish theater adaptations, you'll probably get a kick out of the costumes and the earnest performances. If you need constant movement or, you know, a plot that doesn't feel like it’s taking a nap every ten minutes, skip this one.
The whole thing feels very stagey. Sometimes it’s charming, other times it’s just stiff. You can practically hear the floorboards creaking under the actors' boots in every single scene.
It reminds me a bit of the slow-burn feeling you get in Year 1863, though with a lot less ambition. It doesn't try to be anything other than a simple story about class and love. It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel, which is both its biggest strength and its biggest weakness.
There’s a part where someone is pouring tea or coffee, and they do it with such extreme care that I thought the cup was going to shatter. It was strangely hypnotic. Why did the camera linger on the sugar cubes for so long? I don't have an answer for you. Maybe the director just really liked the props.
It’s not as emotionally grounded as something like The Wind, but it’s got a weird, quiet heart. You don't watch this to be surprised. You watch it to sit in a room with people from another era who are all just having a very hard time being honest with each other.
By the end, I felt like I had spent three hours in a parlor. I was ready for some fresh air. Still, it’s a nice enough curiosity if you’re in the mood for something that doesn't demand much of your brain cells. ☕️