13. Summer With Monika (1953)
Harry and Monika - two youngsters in Stockholm - have dead end jobs and find themselves romantically entwined. Harry is laid-back but Monika has a fighting spirit. This lands her in trouble at home and the pair escape Stockholm by stealing Harry's dad's boat. Harry and Monika have a blissful summer, but when they arrive home - Monika is pregnant. Harry doesn't mind this state of affairs and wants to settle down into a family with Monika. He gets a job and studies to better himself but Monika finds her domestic duties boring and she leaves the child with Harry while she goes adventure seeking. Summer with Monika was instrumental, due to its frank depiction of nudity and teenage sexuality, in establishing Sweden as a sexually liberal country. It is a beautifully shot film, which shows you don't need bombastic special effects in a movie for it to be enjoyable. Sometimes plain simple good acting and an interest in characterisation can be enough. Both Lars Ekborg and Harriet Andersson are excellent in their roles. It is inevitable that the spirited Monika couldn't lead a boring domestic existence. Lars however, is chuffed with the baby and at the end of the film, it is apparent that the baby is a blessing and Lars will be an attentive father. So the film is rather bittersweet in the end. I have to say, I love this film. It is simple but effortlessly elegant.