Sweden films were in clear reputation. In the sixties is a nationwide resistance against “Saufilme”, as they had brought the directors Ingmar Bergman and Vilgot Sjöman after Germany was formed. Even a constitutional amendment was required.
Water shoots out of the tap. About the bubbling pools bent, a young woman washes. The camera follows her hands, captures her naked, dangling breast. Uninhibited. Canvas Frame. There’s nothing to imagine, to see everything. 50 years ago, the radical images. Here came the shots in which Gunnel Lindblom washed himself in the armpits, not even from one of the three infamous scenes, which then caused a furor Ingmar Bergman and sensation.
1964 broke with Bergman’s “The Silence” and Vilgot Sjömans “491” two “Swedish Sex Shocker” as wrote about the German cinema-goers in. And for the first time since the scandal Willi Forst’s “The Sinner” in the early fifties was formed in the Federal Republic a massive resistance against a liberal film culture, which many perceived as a threat to the moral welfare of the nation.
Bergman’s drama “The Silence” about the sexually charged, destructive relationship of two sisters, Anna and Ester had already performed in Sweden to a cultural policy towards dispute, as a result, a new political party founded the Kristen Demokratisk Samling, forerunner of today’s Christian Democrats. “A larger Saufilm”, then a deputy in the Swedish Parliament outraged over “491” that he had never seen before.
In December 1963, the Voluntary Self-Monitoring of the film industry (FSK) was “The Silence” for German moviegoers from 18, but released without cutting conditions. The decision was unanimous. The in Sweden so hotly discussed sex and masturbation scenes were, it was said in the test report of the FSK, “of the highest artistic intensity and aptly symbolic power”. Never before has a movie with such scenes of the FSK was beyond all reproach.
Swedish Cinema Sex Scandal:108 criminal charges
After it had started “The Silence” on 24 January 1964 in the West German cinemas, it was recorded almost entirely positive of the trade press. In his speech at the opening of the “Week of religious film” in February 1964 defended himself an evangelical film commissioner Hermann Gerber, the decision of the FSC. “The Silence” would be a work of art to “a line with Strindberg or (…) Goya and Hieronymus Bosch.
Anyone who wants to see what a world looks like without God, a world in which only the bare Vital issues are important, which is the consider film with a wholesome fright. “At the same time Gerber perceived the discontent that moved in leading ecclesiastical circles. So far, the opponents of the film would have still retained, he said, “but now the storm already breaks loose”.
Within a short time went to the competent public prosecutor 108 criminal charges, which were not pursued because the film within the meaning of Section 184 of the Criminal Code was not “obscene”. The focus of the critics focused primarily on three scenes: a body masturbates at the ester; a scene in the theater, in which Anna “witnessed a downright bestial sexual act” is, like “Die Zeit” formulated, as well as a sex scene between Anna and a bartender.
Correct Ride took to the protests, as with Sjömans “491” equal to the next, allegedly more drastic scandal strips was announced. In the Family Ministry and the FederalPresident, the complaint letters piled baskets of, cinema operators received threatening phone calls and local action committees made with petitions and posters against “pornographic films” mobile. In Schweinfurt was founded in September 1964, the “Action Clean canvas”.
The 32-year-old Georg deletion, sales manager of the sewing machine “masterpieces” and a member of the Youth Welfare Committee, who had already taken care of “for years to stem the tide of sex, war and Brutal Movies” as the knew to report, had the call formulated.
Swedish Cinema Sex Scandals:Dramatic cut pads
“491” is about a group of young offenders, together with a social worker living in a force as progressive socialization project in a residential community. The six boys enjoy this freedom by carousing, beat, steal and lead their educators on the nose. At the port they bifurcate to a girl she out on the streets. At the end it should be possible to mount even of a sheepdog.
The FSK had the film in Germany initially refused the release, but then released him in an appeal hearing. However, under such conditions substantial section that the Catholic film Officer in G from the original film as being “only a skeleton” remained. Nevertheless, the release of the strip, the had hardly seen a self, grist to the mill of those who criticized the practice of releasing Rated as too lax for a long time.
Just a few weeks after their first call the “Action Clean canvas” 23,456 signatures for a civilized cinema had collected, which they gave to President Heinrich Lübke on October 4, 1964. The first man in the state supported the initiative explicitly: “I am delighted that for the first time from the youth and from the people themselves Protests appear against film works that lead to the endangerment of youth.”
From Schweinfurt from the action expanded rapidly into a nationwide movement with a focus in Southern Germany. It provided the model for similar initiatives such as the Protestant “Special concern for Germany” and found with their request, “against the rising tide of dirty movies” proceed, multiple support.
[adrotate group=”15″]
