A PICTURE FOR WIDE SCREENS AND BROAD MINDS. 

One of Ingmar Bergman’s first international hits was one of the reasons why people started talking about Sweden as a sexually liberated country. All because of a little nudity that barely registers today. It’s the story of two teenagers in Stockholm who fall in love, steal a boat and spend the summer in the city’s archipelago; once the romantic feelings cool a little bit, reality becomes a challenge for the young lovers. The director and his cinematographer find great beauty and drama in their seductive portrait of Swedish summer. The story follows a familiar path, but Harriet Andersson and Lars Ekborg are convincing as the beautiful, awkward and childish teenagers. Great, touching final shot.

1953-Sweden. 96 min. B/W. Produced by Allan Ekelund. Directed by Ingmar Bergman. Screenplay: Ingmar Bergman, Per Anders Fogelström. Novel: Per Anders Fogelström. Cinematography: Gunnar Fischer. Cast: Harriet Andersson (Monika Eriksson), Lars Ekborg (Harry Lund), Dagmar Ebbesen (Mrs. Lindström), Åke Fridell, Naemi Briese, Åke Grönberg… Sigge Fürst, John Harryson, Gösta Prüzelius, Torsten Lilliecrona, Wiktor ”Kulörten” Andersson, Mona Geijer-Falkner.

Trivia: Original title: Sommaren med Monika. Alternative title: Monika.

Last word: “Dr. Dymling [Carl Anders Dymling, Bergman’s producer at Svensk Filmindustri] has not raised any objections to [the nudity]. Per Anders Fogelström has found them to be in the spirit of his book. We actually thought it was fun to make them (except perhaps Harriet Andersson, who was freezing cold the whole time and had to be sawed or thawed loose, but who sacrificed herself for art).” (Bergman, Filmnyheter)

IMDb