Smiles Of A Summer Night

SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT

Frederik Egerman is a widowed lawyer. His son Henrik is studying theology and his father’s attitude towards life does not conform in the least with his mysticism. Frederik decides to marry Anna, who is nearly the same age with his son. Anna’s youth and the attractiveness of her maid Petra who is her confidante another source of disturbance for Henrik. Everything starts with Frederik meeting his old girl friend Desiree. This meeting is put to rout by the arrival of Malcolm. However, Desiree is determined. She is intent on seducing Frederik. With the help of her mother, she manages to invite both Frederik, Malcolm and their families to her country house. The night starts around the dining table and couples come together through love and coincidence. Henrik discovers love with his father’s new wife Anne. Malcolm’s wife, on the other hand feigns interest in Frederik to make her husband jealous. This interest leads the two men as far as a Russian roulette. But Malcolm stays with his wife Charlotte. And for Desiree, she has got what she aimed for and has seduced Frederik, the father of her child, one again. This erotic comedy, a very rare theme for Swedish cinema, had caused a great repercussion when realised by Bergman in 1955. When the film was awarded the major prize for best comedy in the 1956 Cannes Film Festival, Bergman became a director of international renown. French critics, as well as cine-philes became aware of this director who had made 16 films previously. And when these films were also in 1957, Bergman became a phenomenon. He tells his reaction to the prize in Cannes as follows, “When I was sitting down, reading the paper, I saw something about a Swedish film getting a prize in Cannes and that the film was a sensation. I wondered which film it was. When I read it was Smiles of a Summer Night I couldn’t believe my eyes.