If you ever need to illustrate the difference between American and Scandinavian attitudes toward human sexuality, look no further than All Things Fair (1995), a thought-provoking coming-of-age drama, set during the final stages of World War II, about a young teenage boy's heated affair with his schoolteacher. Swedish director Bo Widerberg cast his own son, Johan, as the lovestruck student Stig, a normal 15-year-old kid whose infatuation with his attractive teacher Viola (Marika Lagercrantz) takes a surprising turn when she unexpectedly returns his affection, thus encouraging his sexual awakening while her neglectful, alcoholic husband is off working as a traveling hosiery salesman. Semi-autobiographical and quite frank in its emotional and physical exploration of this taboo relationship (including a scene in which a barely-teenaged girl strips naked in an awkward attempt to seduce Stig), the film is never crass or prurient--rather, it simply treats this ill-fated affair as authentic and passionate, until a shift in Stig's affections send the teacher into an emotional and retaliatory tailspin. Widerberg's handling of the material is compassionate, sensible, and dramatically involving, although the semi-ambiguous ending isn't entirely satisfying. Sure to be a controversial selection, this superbly acted Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film--presented here in a sharp digital DVD transfer--is nevertheless a strong optional purchase. (J. Shannon)
All Things Fair
Home Vision, 132 min., in Swedish w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $19.95 Volume 19, Issue 4
All Things Fair
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: