491 (film)
Encyclopedia
491 is a 1964
Swedish
black-and-white drama film
directed by Vilgot Sjöman
, based on a novel by Lars Görling. The story is about a group of youth criminals who are chosen to participate in a social experiment, where they are assigned to live together in an apartment while being supervised by two forgiving social workers. The tagline is: It is written that 490 times you can sin and be forgiven. This motion picture is about the 491st.
This controversial film, which featured a male homosexual
rape scene, was first banned
in Sweden, but released after reediting. Amongst other things, a scene in which a woman is rape
d by a dog was cut. The film was also banned in Norway
until 1971.
The reactions from especially conservative elements in Sweden were of disgust and outrage, and it was one of the reasons why the Christian Democratic Party
was founded in 1965.
1964 in film
The year 1964 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 29 - The film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is released....
Swedish
Cinema of Sweden
Swedish cinema is known as producing many critically acclaimed movies, and during the 20th century was the most prominent of Scandinavia. This is largely due to the popularity and prominence of the directors Ingmar Bergman, Victor Sjöström, and more recently Lasse Hallström and Lukas...
black-and-white drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Vilgot Sjöman
Vilgot Sjöman
David Harald Vilgot Sjöman was a Swedish writer and film director. His films deal with controversial issues of social class, morality, and sexual taboos, combining the emotionally-tortured characters of Ingmar Bergman with the avant garde style of the French New Wave...
, based on a novel by Lars Görling. The story is about a group of youth criminals who are chosen to participate in a social experiment, where they are assigned to live together in an apartment while being supervised by two forgiving social workers. The tagline is: It is written that 490 times you can sin and be forgiven. This motion picture is about the 491st.
This controversial film, which featured a male homosexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
rape scene, was first banned
Banned films
For nearly the entire history of film production, certain films have been banned by film censorship or review organizations for political or moral reasons...
in Sweden, but released after reediting. Amongst other things, a scene in which a woman is rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d by a dog was cut. The film was also banned in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
until 1971.
The reactions from especially conservative elements in Sweden were of disgust and outrage, and it was one of the reasons why the Christian Democratic Party
Christian Democrats (Sweden)
The Christian Democrats ) is a political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1964 but did not enter parliament until 1985 in an electoral cooperation with the Centre Party and on the Christian Democrats' own accord in 1991. The leader since April 3, 2004 is Göran Hägglund. He succeeded Alf...
was founded in 1965.
Cast
- Lars Lind as Krister
- Leif Nymark as Nisse
- Stig Törnblom as Egon
- Lars Hansson as Pyret
- Sven Algotsson as Jingis
- Torleif Cederstrand as Butcher
- Bo Andersson as Fisken
- Lena NymanLena NymanAnna Lena Elisabet Nyman was a Swedish film and stage actress.Having had her first film roles in 1955, Nyman had a role in Vilgot Sjöman's 491 and got her breakthrough in his I Am Curious , where she, in pseudo-documentary fashion, played a character of the same name as herself, and its sequel I...
as Steva - Frank Sundström as Inspector
- Åke GrönbergÅke GrönbergKarl Åke Edvard Grönberg was a Swedish film actor who appeared in nearly 100 films. Gronberg was a versatile stage personalities of his day, performing as a singer, variety artist, actor, in musical shows and in dramatic productions.He was born in Stockholm, Sweden and died of a heart attack in...
as Reverend Mild