Diverse, if not the most discerning in his directorial preferences, Roger Vadim chose the play of Françoise Sagan for his next film. Its content, however, does not concern France, as is evident from the name itself. A cousin arrives in the castle of his relatives, from the very beginning immersed in a strange and pretentious atmosphere. Indulging in the whims of the wife of the owner of the castle Eleanor, its inhabitants dress in vintage clothes and generally behave clearly theatrical. However (although we can say, as always) the meeting of the closest relatives always leads to skeletons in the closet, pseudo-ghosts in the corridors, incestuous hints and other charms, originating in the poetics of the Gothic novel of the late 18th century.
But the film is by no means gothic. This is a black comedy, quite vividly dissecting the “modest charm” of the aristocracy that has stagnated and engaged in senseless escapism. That is, there is much more naturalism than the Gothic, although it is vaguely critical, namely artistic. Bribes the cast of the tape. Here and not yet earned real fame Trentignan, who became our forced psychopomp on the secrets of the family. This is Brialee, brilliantly playing another depraved character. This is Monica Vitti, not that brilliant playing (you need to be at least Antonioni to take her beyond the mediocre game, which, unfortunately, is characteristic of most of her roles), but practicing her texture quite.
However, many secrets somehow get bored by the middle of the film. We have to admit that the dramatic material remained unstoppable. The sparkling “black” film did not work out, as the Swedish flavor declared in the title is also not particularly striking. The film will be interesting for those who like excursions to European film modernism. Please do not disturb the shameful secrets of the venerable family.