Loving Couples [Älskande Par] *** (1964, Harriet Andersson, Gunnel Lindblom, Gio Petré, Anita Björk, Gunnar Björnstrand, Eva Dahlbeck) – Classic Movie Review 11,796

Director Mai Zetterling’s daring and provocative Swedish 1964 first feature film Loving Couples [Älskande Par] stars Harriet Andersson, Gunnel Lindblom, Gio Petré, Anita Björk, Gunnar Björnstrand and Eva Dahlbeck. It is based on the novel Froeknarna von Pahlen by Agnes von Krusenstjerna, and was banned at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival for its sexual explicitness and nudity.

Loving Couples [Älskande Par] is an ironically titled drama in which three expectant mothers, Agda (Gunnel Lindblom), Adele (Gunnel Lindblom) and Angela (Gio Petré), about to give birth in a hospital in Sweden around the start of World War One, reflect in flashbacks on their relationships with the fathers of their babies.

Set in Stockholm after the turn of the last century (it is 1915), Zetterling’s controversial, light-hearted but thought-provoking film explores feminist issues in an intelligent but appealingly humorous way. The performances by an Ingmar Berman group of actors and the black and white cinematography by Sven Nykvist are very considerable assets.

The cast are Harriet Andersson as Agda Frideborg, Gunnel Lindblom as Adele Holmström née Silfverstjerna, Gio Petré as Angela von Pahlen, Anita Björk as Petra von Pahlen, Gunnar Björnstrand as Dr Jacob Lewin, Eva Dahlbeck as Mrs Landborg, Jan Malmsjö as Stellan von Pahlen, Lissi Alandh as Bell, Bengt Brunskog as Tord Holmström, Anja Boman as Bernhard’s sister Stanny, Åke Grönberg as the fat man, Margit Carlqvist as Dora Macson, Heinz Hopf as Lt Bernhard Landborg, Märta Dorff as Alexandra Vind-Frija, and Jan-Eric Lindquist as Peter von Pahlen.

From 1958 to 1976, Zetterling was married to British author David Hughes, who collaborated with her on her first films as director, including this one and Night Games.

Mai Zetterling (24 May 1925 – 17 March 1994).

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,796

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