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All things fair (Lust och fägring stor)

Threat advisory: Severe - Severe risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

Between the 1943 Christmas holidays and the end of the school year, 15-year-old Stig (Johan Widerberg) experiences his first real love affair. What makes the relationship complicated is that not only is Viola (Marika Lagercrantz) 22 years older than him, she is his teacher.

Persons of interest

Johan Widerberg .... Stig
Marika Lagercrantz .... Viola
Tomas Von Brömssen .... Kjell
Karin Huldt .... Lisbet
Nina Gunke .... Stig's mother
Björn Kjellman .... Sigge
Kenneth Milldoff .... Stig's father
Frida Lindholm .... Olga
Bo Widerberg .... Screenwriter
Bo Widerberg .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

Awards and film festivals:

Berlin International Film Festival 1995: Blue Angel Award

NB: Swedish language dialogue with English language subtitles

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Yeehar! If you play with fire you'll get burned. Stig plays with fire and boy does he get burned. Actually everyone gets burned to some degree in this movie (that's just the way I like it, and the pun was intended).

The performances are terrific, especially that of Bo's 21-year-old son Johan. Normally I am against nepotism because it's based on genes rather than talent but in this case it works. Even cynical old I was moved to believe every second of Stig's life.

The plot is so well fine-tuned that every scene adds fuel to the fire (there's that metaphor again). With every passing day things get wronger and wronger for Stig and those around him. As the weather gets warmer and warmer, life gets bleaker and bleaker. Fabulous.

I would say the dialogue was great but I don't speak Swedish. Perhaps that's why they have those little words at the bottom of the screen.

Security censorship classification

MA 15+ (Adult themes, sexual references)

Surveillance time

128 minutes (2:08 hours)

Not for public release in Australia before date

Film: 24 April 1997 - Part of the Cine 7 season at the Academy