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All Things Fair
Lust och fägring stor
1995 125 min Denmark, Sweden 16+
★7.2
Drama, Romance, War
Director: Bo Widerberg
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Description
In 1943 Malmö, 15-year-old Stig is attracted to his teacher Viola, 22 years his senior, who, drawn to his youth and innocence, believes the lad is a God-sent relief from her miserable marriage to a drunken, unfaithful lout.
US Gross:
$13,128
Starring
Johan Widerberg
Actor
Marika Lagercrantz
Actor
Tomas von Brömssen
Actor
Awards
Berlin International Film Festival 1996
— Silver Bear – Special Jury Prize
Berlin International Film Festival 1996
— Blue Angel Prize – Best European Film
Academy Awards 1996
— Best International Feature Film
Berlin International Film Festival 1996
— Blue Angel Prize – Best European Film
Key opinion
Lust och fägring stor is widely regarded as a sensitive, aesthetically refined coming-of-age portrait that captures the bittersweet transition from youth to adulthood against the backdrop of 1940s Sweden. While most viewers praise its authentic atmosphere and nuanced acting, some find the narrative pacing uneven and the central romantic bond emotionally distant or morally troubling.
| Acting | Johan Widerberg and Marika Lagercrantz deliver compelling, nuanced performances that anchor the complex power dynamic between student and teacher | |
| Direction | Director Bo Widerberg masterfully recreates his own wartime childhood, infusing the film with a nostalgic, tactile sense of time and place | |
| Score | The classical soundtrack, featuring Mahler and Tchaikovsky, effectively mirrors the protagonist's intellectual and emotional awakening | |
| Theme | The film moves beyond simple eroticism to offer a profound, honest exploration of maturation, grief, and the loss of innocence | |
| Pacing | Opinions on the narrative structure are divided; some appreciate the gradual shift from romantic passion to somber realism, while others feel the transition is jarring or that the film suffers from a sluggish pace |