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V
REVIVAL OF THE SWEDISH
FILM
JUST as the decline of the Swedish cinema had been gradual, so also was its revival. In the late 'thirties there were increasing signs of a changed attitude and again there were a number of contributory factors. The films of Feyder. Duvivier, Renoir and Carne greatly stimulated the Swedish directors, who saw in them the modern counterparts of the works of Sjostrom and Stiller. These French films with their poetic realism helped to expose the shallowness of much of the Swedish production. The threat and later the outbreak of war also tended to engender an impatience with the frothy farces and elegant comedies which had been the staple product of the studios for so long. Among the film-makers there were new forces. In addition to the Svensk Filmindustri, which had sustained film production in Sweden during its most difficult period, there were Europa Film, Terrafilm, Nordisk Tonefilm, Sandrew-Bauman and several smaller units. Some of these companies proved more susceptible to the new influences than the old-established Svensk Filmindustri, although there were to be changes also at Rasunda. Finally, more encouragement was given to authors to write direct for the screen and there was less dependence on fiction and the stage as sources.
As a result of these various influences, the Swedish cinema gradually underwent a change. It is not possible to isolate a moment in film history and to say that everything before it belongs to one period, everything after it to another. For example, Schamyl Bauman had shown in Karridr (1938) and Vi Tvd (1939) that even in comedy a naturalistic treatment was possible. In Karridr at least this was a considerable achievement, as it was a story about the private lives of stage players. Tollie Zellman helped to make the film memorable with a moving performance of an ageing actress. Signe Hasso, who was later to go to Hollywood, appeared in both films. Except in so far as they indicated a changing attitude in a genre where it was most difficult to achieve it, the films were of minor importance. There were also films which carried over into the new period the styles and
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