Älskande par (1964)

Älskande par: Directed by Mai Zetterling. With Harriet Andersson, Gunnel Lindblom, Gio Petré, Anita Björk. Three expectant mothers think back over their sex lives.

“Three women at a lying-in hospital reflect on how they got there in Mai Zetterlingu0026#39;s first feature as a director.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI was surprised at how Bergmanesque this movie was, although not as overtly cerebral. Of course a good deal of that can be attributed to the presence of Harriet Anderson, one of Bergmanu0026#39;s frequent leading ladies, and Sven Nyquist being the cinematographer; but while it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it doesnu0026#39;t quack like a duck. Instead of Bergmanu0026#39;s meditation on keeping society going in a G*dless universe, it considers womanu0026#39;s place in a society run for the benefit and pleasure of its men; and the continuation of society depends more on popping out babies, a process which the women donu0026#39;t have on their minds when they get pregnant. Bergman may mourn the absence of G*d, but to Zetterling, Heu0026#39;s irrelevant.”