Sweet Movie
Encyclopedia
Sweet Movie is a film by the Yugoslavian director Dušan Makavejev
. The film follows two women: a Canadian beauty queen, who represents a modern commodity culture, and a captain aboard a ship laden with candy and sugar, who is a failed communist revolutionary. Director of photography is Pierre Lhomme
. The film's music is composed by Greek composer Manos Hadjidakis
.
), who wins a contest of the "most virgin"; her prize is the marriage to a milk industry tycoon (John Vernon
). However, following his degrading puritanical introduction to intercourse, she vents her intention to leave to her mother-in-law who, at that point, nearly has her killed. The family bodyguard (bodybuilder Roy Callender) takes her away, further humiliates her, and finally packs her in a trunk bound for Paris. She finds herself on the Eiffel Tower, where she absently meets and has intercourse with a Latin singer, El Macho (Sami Frey
). The sexual act is interrupted by touring nuns who frighten the lovers into penis captivus
. In her post-coital shocked state, she is adopted into an artist community led by Otto Muehl
, where she finds affectionate care. The commune practices some liberating sessions, where a member, with the assistance of the others, goes through a (re)birth experience, cries, urinates and defecates like a baby, while the others are cleaning and pampering him. Later she is seen acting for an obscene advertisement, in which she is naked, covered in liquid chocolate.
The second narrative involves a woman, Anna Planeta (Anna Prucnal
) piloting a candy-filled boat down a river, with a large papier-mache head of Karl Marx on the prow. She picks up the hitchhiking sailor Potemkin (Pierre Clémenti
), though she warns him that if he falls in love, she will kill him. He ignores her many suggestions for him to leave and their relationship evolves. Eventually, in the state of love making, she stabs him to death in their nidus of sugar. She also seduces children into her world of sweets and revolution. She is eventually apprehended and arrested by the police who lay down plastic sacks containing the children's bodies on the riverside, implying they too have been killed by Planeta. The film ends with the children, unseen by the others, being reborn from their plastic cocoons.
, left the production after becoming increasingly disgusted over the actions required for her performance; she decided to quit after shooting a scene in which she fondled a man's penis on-screen. After Laure's departure, Nakavejev re-wrote the script to include the second narrative, starring Anna Prucnal
.
, emetophilia
, fondling, and footage of remains of the Polish Katyn Massacre
victims. The film was banned in many countries, or severely cut. It is still banned in many countries to this day. Polish authorities banned Prucnal from using her passport
over the movie, which effectively banned her from entering her native country for a number of years. The film was nearly impossible to find since its initial release in 1974, but Criterion released the film on DVD in a region 1 DVD
on June 19, 2007.
Dušan Makavejev
Dušan Makavejev is a Serbian film director and screenwriter, famous for his groundbreaking films of Yugoslav cinema in the late 1960s and early 1970s...
. The film follows two women: a Canadian beauty queen, who represents a modern commodity culture, and a captain aboard a ship laden with candy and sugar, who is a failed communist revolutionary. Director of photography is Pierre Lhomme
Pierre Lhomme
Pierre Lhomme is a French Director of Photography.-Filmography:*2002 : Le Divorce by James Ivory*1999 : Cotton Mary by Ismail Merchant*1998 : Voleur de vie by Yves Angelo...
. The film's music is composed by Greek composer Manos Hadjidakis
Manos Hadjidakis
Manos Hatzidakis was a Greek composer and theorist of the Greek music. He was also one of the main prime movers of the "Éntekhno" song ....
.
Plot
One narrative follows Miss Monde 1984/Miss Canada (Carole LaureCarole Laure
Carole Laure is an actress and singer from the province of Quebec in Canada.-Career:Throughout most of her career, Carole Laure primarily collaborated with Anglophone singer, songwriter, producer, and director Lewis Furey, whom she met in 1977 and who later became her husband...
), who wins a contest of the "most virgin"; her prize is the marriage to a milk industry tycoon (John Vernon
John Vernon
John Keith Vernon was a Canadian actor. He made a career in Hollywood after achieving initial television stardom in Canada.-Early life:...
). However, following his degrading puritanical introduction to intercourse, she vents her intention to leave to her mother-in-law who, at that point, nearly has her killed. The family bodyguard (bodybuilder Roy Callender) takes her away, further humiliates her, and finally packs her in a trunk bound for Paris. She finds herself on the Eiffel Tower, where she absently meets and has intercourse with a Latin singer, El Macho (Sami Frey
Sami Frey
Sami Frey, born Samuel Frei is a French actor. Perhaps his most famous films are En compagnie d'Antonin Artaud and Bande à part...
). The sexual act is interrupted by touring nuns who frighten the lovers into penis captivus
Penis captivus
Penis captivus describes a supposed event that occurs in rare instances during heterosexual intercourse when the muscles in the vagina clamp down on the penis much more firmly than usual , making it impossible for the penis to withdraw from the vagina...
. In her post-coital shocked state, she is adopted into an artist community led by Otto Muehl
Otto Muehl
Otto Muehl is an Austrian artist, who is best known as one of the co-founders as well as a main participant of Viennese Actionism. In 1972 he founded the Friedrichshof Commune that existed for several years before falling apart in the 1990s...
, where she finds affectionate care. The commune practices some liberating sessions, where a member, with the assistance of the others, goes through a (re)birth experience, cries, urinates and defecates like a baby, while the others are cleaning and pampering him. Later she is seen acting for an obscene advertisement, in which she is naked, covered in liquid chocolate.
The second narrative involves a woman, Anna Planeta (Anna Prucnal
Anna Prucnal
Anna Prucnal is a Polish actress in both cinema and theatre, as well as a singer.Prucnal was born in Warsaw, Poland. After her father, a surgeon, was killed by the Nazis during World War II, Anna and her sister were raised by their mother, who was of noble descent and related to the 18th-century...
) piloting a candy-filled boat down a river, with a large papier-mache head of Karl Marx on the prow. She picks up the hitchhiking sailor Potemkin (Pierre Clémenti
Pierre Clémenti
Pierre Clémenti was a French actor.Born in Paris, Clémenti studied drama and began his acting career in the theatre. He secured his first minor screen roles in 1960 in Yves Allégret's Chien de pique performing alongside Eddie Constantine...
), though she warns him that if he falls in love, she will kill him. He ignores her many suggestions for him to leave and their relationship evolves. Eventually, in the state of love making, she stabs him to death in their nidus of sugar. She also seduces children into her world of sweets and revolution. She is eventually apprehended and arrested by the police who lay down plastic sacks containing the children's bodies on the riverside, implying they too have been killed by Planeta. The film ends with the children, unseen by the others, being reborn from their plastic cocoons.
Production
The film was originally intended to focus solely on the experiences of Miss Canada. However, the actress portraying the character, Carole LaureCarole Laure
Carole Laure is an actress and singer from the province of Quebec in Canada.-Career:Throughout most of her career, Carole Laure primarily collaborated with Anglophone singer, songwriter, producer, and director Lewis Furey, whom she met in 1977 and who later became her husband...
, left the production after becoming increasingly disgusted over the actions required for her performance; she decided to quit after shooting a scene in which she fondled a man's penis on-screen. After Laure's departure, Nakavejev re-wrote the script to include the second narrative, starring Anna Prucnal
Anna Prucnal
Anna Prucnal is a Polish actress in both cinema and theatre, as well as a singer.Prucnal was born in Warsaw, Poland. After her father, a surgeon, was killed by the Nazis during World War II, Anna and her sister were raised by their mother, who was of noble descent and related to the 18th-century...
.
Reception
The film created a storm of controversy upon its release. With simulated (and unsimulated) scenes of coprophiliaCoprophilia
Coprophilia , also called scatophilia or scat, is the paraphilia involving sexual pleasure from feces...
, emetophilia
Emetophilia
Emetophilia is a paraphilia in which an individual is aroused by vomiting or observing others vomit. Emetophiles put emetophilia into practice by actually vomiting, especially on a partner...
, fondling, and footage of remains of the Polish Katyn Massacre
Katyn massacre
The Katyn massacre, also known as the Katyn Forest massacre , was a mass execution of Polish nationals carried out by the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs , the Soviet secret police, in April and May 1940. The massacre was prompted by Lavrentiy Beria's proposal to execute all members of...
victims. The film was banned in many countries, or severely cut. It is still banned in many countries to this day. Polish authorities banned Prucnal from using her passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
over the movie, which effectively banned her from entering her native country for a number of years. The film was nearly impossible to find since its initial release in 1974, but Criterion released the film on DVD in a region 1 DVD
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
on June 19, 2007.
Cast
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