MINISTERN (THE HOME SECRETARY/GOODBYE, NENNA)
Sweden, 1970, 100 minutes, Colour.
Jarl Kulle, Margaretha Krook, Mats Ahlfeldt, Anna Nord, Alan Edwall.
Directed by Jarl Kulle.
The Home Secretary is a Swedish film coming at the end of the 1960s. It looks back with some nostalgia to the Sweden of the past. However, much of the film is told from a child’s point of view. He is played very well by Mats Ahlfeldt. The photography is often from the child’s point of view as he looks at his parents, adult society around him, often being puzzled.
The film was directed by Jarl Kulle, a prominent Swedish actor for many decades, especially in some Ingmar Bergman films like Smiles of a Summer Night, The Devil’s Eye, Now About All These Women, Fanny and Alexander. He also had a prominent role in Babette’s Feast. The supporting cast included Margaretha Krook and Allan Edwall, again prominent Swedish performers at this time, also in Bergman films.
The film is a reflection of the developments of Swedish cinema and telling its own stories in the 1960s into the 1970s.
1. An appealing drama? Humane? Picture of children? Family life? Careers? A message drama?
2. Swedish production values: colour photography, locations, the cities, the beach? The Swedish sensibility towards children, family? The musical score? The song and its contribution?
3. The film as a focus on a boy and his world, school, friends, the coming of the governess and the strong bond between them, the shared joy, his parents and his love-hate relationship with them, the neighbours, the lawyer, the postman and his disabled wife? The boy's view of them all and the audience 6haring his viewpoint, criticisms?
4.. The life of a son of professional people? School, friends, lack of friends? Parental neglect and its effect? The joy of the governess, playing, an imaginative world, a world of affection?
5. The portrait of his parents: professional people, their place in society, sophistication and style? Their reaching out to their son, their being too busy to reach out to him? Their attempts? At home, the holiday? Their worry about him? Treating him as an adult? The experience of Nenna's death? Their handling of it for themselves, for him? The discussions with him? the mother's talk about God and answering his questions about the creation of the world? Her image of pudding for the Big Bang theory? His wry comment that if she could believe in pudding, she could believe in God? Their professional careers. skill at treating people? Medically? Politically? Their failure with their son?
6. Nenna and her brightness, happiness, at home, the holiday, sharing the swimming, the walk along the beach, the boys going out in the boat, her advising them not to, the bog, being overwhelmed, the cry for help, her not hesitating to go in, her not being able to save the boy? Audience reaction to her death? Sharing Mats?Peter's reaction?
7. Mats-Peter's experience of death,watching Nenna,alone on the beach, his memories, the effect on his behaviour?
8. The return home, the parents' farewell to Nenna? His matter-of-fact comments on her death? His trying to behave, not coping? His parents' absence, their growing celebrity? The discussion with the Journalist and finding the truth? His wandering away, his leaving, everybody searching for him? His notes about hating his parents? His visit to the lawyer wanting to divorce his parents?
9. His friendship with Sohering, the work of.the postman, shared interests, chatter? His going over to Schering's place?
10. Making friends with Sandra, her disability? The shared experiences and joy, his wheeling her chair? Going out with them?
11. The parents and the going to Africa, doing good, the press conference, .the media? The irony of their wanting to do good in Africa when they could not achieve it at home?
12. Mats-Peter's running away, its effect? Going to the lawyer and discussing divorce with then? Schering and Sandra helping in his return?
13. The shock of his parents hearing about the divorce? Their not understanding? The reaction of his mother, and her harsh words to her husband about not understanding their son?
14. The film's invitation to the audience to enter the boy’s world, appreciate his needs, appreciate his friendship and joy? A critique of the adult world?
