Film Culture (1956)

The first editors were Rolund Hegbun, H. Hjarten and Arne Lindgren—the prime movers of the group. From the outset, their journal presented analyses of classic and recent films, scenarios of film poems, essays on film theory and aesthetics, and advanced filmological studies. The editorial policy was uncompromisingly critical, directly attacking the wholly commercial film and opposing journalistic abuses of film criticism. It carried no commercial advertisements, was immediately and enthusiastically received by independent film-makers and recognized by the established press. Through the sustained efforts of its publisher, Arne Lindgren, the magazine has maintained itself and recently has become a coordinating publication for the majority of film-makers in Sweden. | These activities helped to establish the necessary aesthetic standards of the group and the quality of their films was appreciably increased. Howse of Cards by Niels Olsen is an unassuming and straightforward psychological study of the relationship between a man and a woman, revealing subtle shifts and nuances in feeling; its symbolism is convincing and integrated with setting and situation. Lindgren in 1952 made Triangle Drama, a short film on Moline’s classic Swedish sculpture, ‘The Wrestlers”. It re-enacts the story told by the sculpture __that of the conflict between two Viking warriors, their savage duel and death. The statuary itself is animated by means of rapid editing toward the climax. This film received first prize as “Film of the Year.” Around that time, the writer and painter Peter Weiss began to devote himself exclusively to film. His short silent film Stwdy I explores, in semi-documentary and surrealistic style, the recurrence of morning moods that are rendered by correspondingly recurrent glimpses of trivial matutinal activities. It has the dreamy and composed erotic atmosphere of his later films. Study II consists of twelve short tableaux; here already a distinct personal style becomes apparent. The tableaux rely largely on compositions within the frame, the texture employed being nude human beings and abstract shapes; just as in his paintings, Weiss shows a marked preoccupation with human limbs, heads, feet, palms of hands. The compositional arrangements are essentially static, and thus the introduction of slight movement, sparingly used throughout the film, concretizes the semi-abstract patterns into living, meaningful images. The slowness of movement, the bizarre surrealistic composition and the latent symbolism of attitudes and gestures make this film a convincing account of the hallucinatory states of half-waking consciousness. St#dy III, stylistically similar to Study I, is a nightmarish portrayal of the peregrinations of a man tormented by the deadweight of his old personality. It differs, however—at least themattcally—from the majority of subjective surrealistic filmpoems in that it provides an emotional psychological release by allowing the protagonist to attain his freedom. Weiss’ latest film, Interplay, is also a semi-abstract film; human bodies and faces are used abstractly to conyey a tantalizing ambivalence of sexual attitudes. He 20 is at present experimenting with color in a cineplastic film where various transparent and semi-transparent textures are exploited through a technique of animated “collage.” Weiss, however, does not remain submerged in purely subjective expression; he has recently finished a naturalistic reportorial film on the plight of old men leading a quaint isolated life in the wasteland of the society which has disaffected them. In making any total evaluation of the Swedish film artists’ aesthetic contribution to cinematic art, it 1s necessary to view their achievement in the perspective of their economic and social position. Because of the domination of commercialism, the film artist in Sweden, as in most countries, finds himself severed from the general public, and consequently, deprived of both moral gratification and financial support. On the other hand, the fact that so many independent film-makers have been recruited from the ranks of writers, painters, etc., contributes to the subjectivistic and personal character of the themes treated. Economic separation from society estranges the artist who then finds it difficult to approach society as a source of inspiration since he knows that his films will be accessible to only a small and atypical segment of it. What is more, the moral and psychological alienation is aggravated by the lack of an autochthonous theoretical tradition. All this results in a narrowing down of the thematic range to the expression of personal moods or esoteric subjects. The lack of a native tradition in film aesthetics and the lack of engagement in the life of contemporary society relegates the film artist to the heavily exploited grounds of the cosmopolitan avantgarde. That is why a number of so-called experimental films made in Sweden today still bear the stamp of foreign influence and alien traditions of long standing. It should be noted, however, that not all the Swedish independent films are imitative; some of them have shown boldness, originality and technical ingenuity. Moreover, the achievement of the independent group has not been limited to film production. Over the past three years this group has accomplished the task of changing the widespread prejudice against independent film production and has created a milieu critically conscious of the exact value of its own productions. Repeated appeals made to the government resulted this year in a grant of 4,000 kronor for studio expenses. One then can reasonably expect from this integrated and militant group of young film-makers achievements of equal importance in their creative work. Norte: Many of the above mentioned experimental films are available for distribution. Interested persons may contact: Arbetsgruppen fér Film, Bravalgatan 5, Stockholm, Va att. A. Lindgren.