I am Curious¡ªYellow is told in varying fiction
and reality. The title credits commence with a shot of the
façade of the film¡¯s production office, supplanting a title
logo. Lena Nyman, as herself, is in an elevator with
Sjöman,
as himself. Furthering the film¡¯s literal stance, the title
credit appears (I am Curious) and a female passerby
responds, ¡°But I¡¯m not!¡±
The joke is that Sjöman¡¯s film is about his
film; he films himself filming his actors. There are large
passages where this self-reference is absent, and they are
interrupted at whim by Sjöman¡¯s call, ¡°Cut!¡± The intermingling
of fact and fiction is an ineffective aesthetic tactic that
introduces an unnecessary aspect. The film may rely on its
politics alone.
Lena is determined to acknowledge the Swedish public¡¯s
perception of the state of Swedish socialism. In an
introductory series of interviews (similar interviews ¨C all
real ¨C comprise the majority of Yellow and its
companion piece Blue) Lena asks, ¡°Is there a class
system in Sweden?¡± Her targets are clearly members of the
working class, and answers are generally mixed. She targets
more lucrative members of the social strata and welcomes the
same mixed answers. Even in its age, a quality that impedes
the film, I am Curious¡ªYellow encapsulates 60s Sweden¡¯s
political state: the country is branded by democracy, yet
suffers from socialist trappings, for which new politics
supply no remedy.
Though Lena¡¯s sexual practice is frequent she his not
promiscuous, only, aptly, curious. Her relationship is a
mirror of her other larger agenda: she violates traditional
feminine submission in both her sex and demand for equal
rights.
In whole I Am Curious¡ªYellow is a highly
commentarial film that addresses and displays issues without
reasoning them. Its contemporary worth is that it highlights
political ignorance. Like Lena herself, appreciation for the
film requires interest in its politics. I Am Curious is
entertaining for its novelty, and exhaustive in its political
intent. Its notorious reputation (attributed only to its frank
sexuality), however, is misleading.
From www.notcoming.com
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