Layers upon layers upon layers in a film that feels so contemporary it grabs you by the throat. Dagmar Brink is the opposite of Charles Foster Kane - she is poor, unambitious, selfless and poetic, and yet the film’s use of Citizen Kane’s structure works perfectly.
I did not see the twist in this film coming (although I damn well should have) because of the era in which it was made and takes place. When reflecting on the original audience for this film - you can bet they did not miss the clues.
This film is a good Rorschach test for so many historical biases. Fascinating as a movie, a time capsule of post-war Swedish society, and an examination of fascism’s seductive power - on even those we love most.
More powerful than I anticipated.