Smiles of a Summer Night

1957 "A Sexy Frolic About the Sport of Love"
7.7| 1h49m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 23 December 1957 Released
Producted By: SF Studios
Country: Sweden
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

Early in the 20th century, middle-aged lawyer Fredrik Egerman and his young wife, Anne, have still not consummated their marriage, while Fredrik's son finds himself increasingly attracted to his new stepmother. To make matters worse, Fredrik's old flame Desiree makes a public bet that she can seduce him at a romantic weekend retreat where four couples convene, swapping partners and pairing off in unexpected ways.

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Reviews

Scanialara You won't be disappointed!
Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.
Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.
FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
elvircorhodzic SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHTS is an intelligent, honest and very funny comedy about complicated love relationships between men and women.One prominent lawyer, who is faced with problems in his marriage, requires the help of his former mistress. The famous and beautiful actress wants her former lover. The young man, who was on his way to becoming a priest falls in love with his stepmother. One officer wants to be a good husband and a better lover at the same time. His wicked wife wants him for herself at all costs. There is also a naughty little housemaid who knows her way around an old coachman.This film is full of witty romantic incidents. Philosophic conclusions are attractive and they reflect with a certain elegance. The director skillfully presented a conflict between young (inexperienced) and mature (experienced) form of love. The series of personal complications makes up for the content of the film. This leads to a series of comic situations, criss-crossed love and even explicit scenes. Despite the cynical views on love and sexuality by Mr. Bergman, the end of the film is still happy and all the protagonists are "satisfied".Characterization is commendable. Men are strictly "pompous" figures, while women are sweet and impressionable. Male dignity is exposed to a „serious" satire.Gunnar Björnstrand as Fredrik Egerman is elegant, tough and cunning lawyer. Jarl Kulle as Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm is fun, a bit self-centered and arrogant officer. Ulla Jacobsson Anne Egerman is beautiful and even more naive young wife. Eva Dahlbeck as Desiree Armfeldt is a impatient mistress and a single mother. Harriet Andersson (Petra) is lively and merry maid and Åke Fridell (Frid) is a coachman who explains to us the existence of three types of love on a summer night.This is a playful comedy in which love conquers frustration and tragedy turns into farce.
gavin6942 In the lat 19th-century, a slightly-aging and totally amoral actress invites to her country-house party two married men---a lawyer and a count---who have both been her lovers in the past. She also asks them to bring along their wives. She has plans on taking one of them away from his present wife, but also ensure that all her guests leave paired up. The math doesn't work out until an uninvited guest also shows up.The film's plot—which involves switching partners on a summer night—has been adapted many times, most notably as the theatrical musical, A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim, Hugh Wheeler and Harold Prince, which opened on Broadway in 1973, and as Woody Allen's film "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy" (1982).What actually strikes me about the film is how generally upbeat it is. Bergman is best known for dark, moody existential films. And this is not one of those. Others have noted the same (how can you not?) and point out the strangest thing of all: this was during the darkest period in Bergman's life. So tragedy makes comedy?
Sindre Kaspersen Swedish screenwriter, playwright, film producer and director Ingmar Bergman's 16th feature film which he wrote, premiered in Stockholm, was screened In competition at the 9th Cannes International Film Festival in 1956 (the filmmaker's first feature film shown at the festival) and is a Swedish production which was shot at a film studio in Råsunda, Stockholms Iän and on location at Jordberga Slott, Anderslöv i Ystad, Sweden. It was produced by Swedish film producer Allan Ekelund (1918-2009). It tells the story about Fredrik Egerman, a middle-aged attorney who lives in a small town in the 19th century with his adult son from a previous marriage named Henrik, who is a theology student, his 19-year-old wife Anne who loves him as if he was her father, and his young servant Petra. Though Fredrik's two-year long marriage with Anne has not been consummated due to Anne's reluctance, he tells her that he will wait, but Fredrik's restrained discontent leads him to visit an old mistress and stage actress named Desirée Armfeldt who is performing in town. Desirée is glad to see Fredrik again and after telling her about his marital problems, she invites him to her home. On their way from Desiree's loge, Fredrik falls in a puddle. He is offered some dry clothes at Desiree's house that belongs to another man, and after getting dressed he discovers a young boy called Fredrik whom he immediately thinks is his son. All of the sudden there is a knock on the door, and in walks Desirée's lover, a married army officer named Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm who takes one look at the man whom he sees is wearing his clothes and challenges him to a duel.Distinctly and engagingly directed by Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, this multifaceted fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints, draws an intriguing portrayal of numerous converging relationships between young and middle-aged men and women. While notable for it's atmospheric milieu depictions, stellar production design by Swedish art director and production designer P.A. Lundgren (1911-2011), black-and-white cinematography by Swedish cinematographer Gunnar Fischer (1910-2011) and costume design by German-Swedish costume designer Mago (1925-2008), this dialog-driven, narrative-driven and humorous comedy-drama depicts some condensed studies of character and contains a good score by Swedish composer Erik Nordgren (1913-1992).This charming, rhythmic, theatrical and somewhat romantic chamber drama from the mid-1950s about love, marriage, infidelity and interpersonal relations which became Ingmar Bergman's first internationally acclaimed feature film, is impelled and reinforced by it's quick-witted dialog, colorful characters, interrelating stories, subtle character development, cogent narrative structure and the brilliant acting performances by Swedish actor Gunnar Björnstrand (1909-1986), Swedish actor and director Jarl Kulle (1927-1997), Swedish actor Björn Bjelfvenstam and Swedish actresses Harriet Andersson, Margit Carlqvist, Ulla Jackobsen (1929-1982), Bibi Andersson and actress and writer Eva Dahlbeck (1920-2008). A compelling, poignantly atmospheric and memorable character piece which gained, among other awards, the Best Poetic Humor prize at the 9th Cannes International Film Festival in 1956.
Galina "Smiles of a Summer Night" is one of the most elegant and charming carnal comedies ever filmed. It is clever, witty, and incredibly sexy. Did I mention that it was written and directed by The Ingmar Bergman whose name would not usually be associated with the comedies? "Smiles of a Summer Night" was a great success with both the critics and the audiences and was submitted for the Cannes film festival…without its creator's knowledge. The film was nominated for the Golden Palm and won the Award for Best Poetic Humor. Bergman describes how he found out about his movie's international recognition, "I was sitting on the toilet reading a morning newspaper. One of the articles was entitled, The Great Victory for a Swedish Cinema at Cannes. I thought, what a wonderful news, what is the movie? And then I read the title, "Smiles of a Summer Night" by Ingmar Bergman." He recalls how poor he was then and he borrowed the money for a ticket to Cannes from Bibi Anderson whom he dated at the time. I did not laugh a lot but I don't think I was supposed to - "Smiles... is a different kind of comedy, sensual and subtle, with the characters often weak but not ridiculous. The beauty of it is in the dialogs, ironic looks, the charming struggle of wits, and in the realization that not everyone will be blessed with the true and passionate love but the life goes on, anyway. The actresses (Ulla Jacobsson, Eva Dahlbeck, Harriet Andersson, and Margit Carlqvist) were incredibly sexy, especially Eva Dahlbeck smoking a cigar and Harriett Andersson as a chambermaid talking to her mistress about the virginity – delightful! There are no words to describe the beauty, splendor, charm, humor, and sensuality of this film. The best I can do - to paraphrase Woody Allen's line -"that was the most fun I've ever had without sex."