Product: Elvira Madigan [VHS]
Rating: 5.0
A Classic Revisited
Spoiler alert: this review reveals plot elements.This 1967 Swedish film tells the story of two somewhat implausible lovers. Elvira is a renowned high-wire performer who has left the circus to join her lover, Sixten, an army officer who has deserted to be with her. As the film unfolds, the reality of their situation comes into focus: desertion is a very serious crime and Sixten will be severely punished if caught. Living as fugitives, unable to work, their situation deteriorates from a romantic idyll to a nightmare. With no money they are starving. In the end they form a suicide pact. They go into the forest and Sixten shoots first Elvira then himself.Beautifully shot in color, with a Mozart piano concerto fading in and out in the background, this is the quintessential "art house" film of the sixties. Revisting it recently, I found it somewhat dated, but still an engrossing story, not to be missed by aficionados of classic film.