I remember buying a used copy of the film on vhs a few years back and was pleased with the film. Stefan Larsson’s performance stood out to me in regards to the film.
I’ve added it now to my films to look for and see, based on what you both said. I love long takes and movies that ‘stun’ you. Is it possible to get?
Man, I’m not quite sure if it’s on dvd. Hopefully we’ll hear more post and info
Roy Andersson’s follow “Du levande (You, the Living)” was making the festival rounds last year and will be coming out sometime on DVD. It, like the previous film, has several long takes of unhappy Swedes in tableau wearing too much pancake make up, while trying engage in the impossibility of existence. I have only seen stills, but from what’ve heard it has the same bleak humor as its predecessor.
“Songs from the Second Floor” is available on Amazon for $26US. Songs… was a good film, but I would never recommend it to anyone unless they loved Bergman, cartoons, and black deadpan equally. It isn’t the sort of film to play at parties.
This is a film I always forget about, until someone else brings it up or I see it at some rental place, and then I remember how much I truly, deeply love it.
Yeah, its on DVD.
Maybe it could find an audience now? The story of our times. The laid-off and the out of work wandering the streets of the failed city, business men torching their properties to collect the insurance, the broken corporation sacrificing living young girls to the money gods. It was absurd, surreal, funny, and quite wonderful in its way.
My question is where is his most recent film, You, the Living…
I have a copy of both songs from the second floor and you the living. they are both excellent, although you the living is much more “light hearted.” i only could find it on divx but i bought songs from the second floor on amazon. his short film called world of glory is amazing. also, most of Roy Andersson’s commercials are on youtube, and they are very interesting pieces of work.
finally got down to seeing this and man, it is something. i laughed i teared up, i laughed even louder. some scenes the tableau style left me with that edward hopper feeling. other scenes feel so playful like a Jacques Tati sight gag. unique but familiar, uncanny.
NIGHTSHIFT
All the threads about Bela Tarr somehow jumpstarted my memory. I can’t explain much what Songs From the Second Floor was about but does anybody remember this Swedish film? It came out I believe in ‘99 and I was stunned when I saw it in the theatre. Most of the scenes seemed like shot in one, static take. I found this film more fascinating than the twice longer but rather exhausting ’Russian Ark’. but to this day, I still can recall every image in this film, although I only saw it once. Heavy!
Cinephiles, I’d love to hear from you…