Newcomer TOTALLY KNOCKED OUT

[Ikeano]

So I finally managed to borrow a friends credit card to order the FA dvd!! Im so excited! It should arrive in about three weeks and Ill finally be able to watch it with English subtitles!
Still, I think I'll watch it as much without the subtitles as with them, just so I can appreciate Alexandra and Rebecka's acting that little bit more

[Nemo_Me]

The question that's turning around in my head is.....what do we all have in common?, why there are people so strongly affected, while others just passe by (they may even think it's a good film, but that's all)?,
I've never seen that impact in a film or any other work of art (maybe there are a few books that have such a power), people all over the world that are touched so deep that it marks a starting point in their lives.

At least I know why I connected with this movie so strongly. My live was excacly like Agnes' life (except I have some friends). The only difference was unfortunately the happy ending . The movie was made in 1998, but theese things happend to me between the years of 2003 and 2005. It was kind of funny, still in a sad way that when I read the storyline and the script (before I saw the movie) I thought 'Hmm, this is pretty much alike what happend to me. But after the movie I was in a complete shock thinking 'Lukas probably had a timemachine in 1997, went to 2003, watched me for the next two years and then came back and wrote the script, because this is just too creepy alike.

[JimmyC]

Still, I think I'll watch it as much without the subtitles as with them, just so I can appreciate Alexandra and Rebecka's acting that little bit more

On the DVD that I own, I can't turn the subtitles off! Is this the case for everyone else? I think it is a region 1 DVD. I really want to turn the subtitles off because sometimes I don't want to see the words since I know what they're saying anyway by heart.

[Spain_1]

Jimmy C, I have not any problem to disable subtitles in the Spanish version DVD......I don't know, it does not seem normal.

And concerning your post before your last one, great !! JimmyC, you know, that was exactly what I was trying to say, I was not conscious of being a viewer of a film. I lost reality’s perception.

Kant181, I know that I brought Patti's line a bit out of context, but taken alone, it has allways reflected to me the expression of frustration that could be applied to both ladies at the begenning of the film. Apart from that I liked very much your interpretation of the song.

I have the amazing feeling that here we all, with our opinions and emotions, we are re-building the film, that’s why I wrote the last phrase of my last message.

Thomas Mann didn’t like very much to talk about his own work, because he believed that the author was not at all the best knower of his creatures. A work of art is not really what it intended to reflect but what it actually evokes for its receivers.

And after this creature has undergone people’s filter, it shines with a new light it was never meant to, that’s what it means that phrase, it’s like “God, am I that talented?, it’s true that I wanted to say all those things?”. Maybe the creation process is half conscious. I’m thinking most of all about that beautiful image of the “pas de deux” between Elin and Agnes or the deep comments that wrote Kant181 in his site that is worth a couple of readings (free advertising space.......), or all that wise analyze about the film we all try to do.

I find it funny.............and GREAT how it all makes feel

[Spain_1]

[/quote]

At least I know why I connected with this movie so strongly. My live was excacly like Agnes' life (except I have some friends). The only difference was unfortunately the happy ending . The movie was made in 1998, but theese things happend to me between the years of 2003 and 2005. It was kind of funny, still in a sad way that when I read the storyline and the script (before I saw the movie) I thought 'Hmm, this is pretty much alike what happend to me. But after the movie I was in a complete shock thinking 'Lukas probably had a timemachine in 1997, went to 2003, watched me for the next two years and then came back and wrote the script, because this is just too creepy alike.[/quote]

Hi, Nemo_Me

It’s nothing surprising you find yourself reflected onto the film. And this is not only because of the plot.........
I think that everybody here must think that this is a piece of his own life. In fact it’s a piece of everybody’s life. I see myself in it, and well, at the beginning you wouldn’t say it’s somewhat related to me. But the feelings showed are so universal, and there’s something that plays strongly in his favor: in all usual films they tend to show critical situations and extreme feelings that are not usual and barely credible, this is not the case, we all had that kind of feelings for anybody (girl or boy), and we all passed through that process of self-definition.

In any case, I feel exactly the same way Nemo_me.........

[Ikeano]

Hey guys. So I am not in a good mood today. I went home to my home town this weekend. It is a small town. Not too many people. I had not been home for a few months so I went out for a few beers with friends and I was just shocked by how small minded the people there are. It annoyed me so much. To them, it doesnt matter WHO you are but WHAT you are. For example, if you are a police officer, they would not want to know you, just because of your job, even though you might be the nicest person in the world.
I guess it took a break away to realise it. Orghhh, it made me so angry! I wanted to roar 'fucking amal' like Elin. I can really relate to her situation now and dont think I will be going back for quite some time.

[Spain_1]

Don’t be in a hurry lkeano, the run’s just started.

I wanted to talk to you about something that I have not already talked. This film has made me understand the mechanism of passion crimes.

True, I mean, till now I couldn’t believe how a man could kill another, but now........just imagine the scene, Alexandra comes to you in her red little t-shirt (not the grown Alexandra of the end of the film, the first one, the childish), she half smiles as she was ashamed, then with a tiny little voice she says, “gentle lkeano, would you be so kind to kill my mean husband...........snälla?”, I wouldn’t bet a penny for her husband.
Have you noticed the power of that snälla?, it is not a single “please”. You have to elongate the first “ä” and push on the “l”, like “snäääLLa”. You would practice a lifetime you wouldn’t reach such a power.

She uses four times in the film that snälla, the fourth time she repeats it three times (at the entrance of the toilet) because she’s grown up and she has lost some of its power. But the first three are irresistible, and in fact nobody is able to stand it. The first one is used to convince Jessica to go to Agnes’, and we can imagine how it is to be for Jessica to go there. The second time breaks Agnes’ resistance to sit at Elin’s side. The third time, the most powerful one, is used to oblige Agnes to go to the party, from where they have called her a few minutes earlier to hurt her severely......but that one, that “let’s go to the party......... “snäääLLa””, just turn off all subtitles, go to that scene and test over you its Swedish power. I think that we would have burnt the house down without any problem.
So, don’t let your couple learn Swedish.......

Well, all that message is foolish, but I LOVE that “snäääLLa”.....

[JimmyC]

it's not foolish, Spain_1! I also have fallen in love with the way she says it. Sometimes while I'm cooking or taking a shower I'd remember it and I'd practice saying that word. I think it's a beautiful word especially when spoken by Elin. Other words have stuck in my mind too...

I don't know hw to spell them all, but there's "sorry" which is "feloooha" or something haha.. and I love when she says "You're drunk" it sounds cool "D'Foo! Foo!" or something. i think that's what it sounds to me like anyway. Also when Agnes answers the phone both times she says "Hallo? Hallo-ah?" That "ah" at the end of the second Hallo is so great to me. Now whenever I answer the phone and nobody's on the other end (happens a lot with unlocked cell phones) I say "Hallo? Hallo-ah?" too.

I wonder how many times it'll take watching this movie before I can speak fluent Swedish!

[Spain_1]

I know it’s not foolish, but I try not to take myself too seriously....

I have a new question for you JimmyC, we all have discussed a lot about why FA is as important for us, and as I see, each one has found her or his own answer. It doesn’t matter if that answer is the last one or if it’s going to change with time.

But, the question is: why other people remain untouched?.

What do you think?, self denying?, is it not a film for everybody?..........

[JimmyC]

That is a very good question, and may be even harder to answer than your first one! I actually have a harder time understanding people who "like" the movie but don't LOOOOOVE it than I do people who hate it. Because I guess it just seems to me like it would be hard to not feel REALLY STRONGLY one way or another about this movie. The people in the middle baffle me.

That doesn't answer your question, though. The answer to your question is "I don't know!" Maybe they had a very different teenage experience than we did, so they can't relate as much? Maybe they're not world weary hopeless romantics? I seriously don't know. Anybody else have better theories?

[Spain_1]

Let’s try not to simplify, we’ll have to divide viewers in different kinds of people.
I’ll try to begin.

1st group : people who doesn’t understand a line.........the less interesting one. We can put into for example Marcus, but is not the only case. Victoria would fit in too.

2nd group : people who never in their lives have been in love.....pathological cases, not very common.

3rd group : hardened hearts........hmmm........a really complex and interesting group, maybe it deserves an inner classification.

Who wants to continue............

[Emiliano]

I saw fucking amal last night. Comments:
I can't understand what happened with me, too. I'm thinking about Rebecka everytime. It's difficult for me, to find that movie, nobody knows it, here in Argentina. Are there anybody who wants to send me the dvd film? I'll pay for it!
Thank u, sorry, my english isn't ok!

[bartolomeo]

If we talking about swedish words in film...I like v. much the way how Agnes speaks to Ellin when the fifth car unexpectedly stops. She says truly amused "viyoure, viboyore!"-let's do it ! Sorry swedish members/readers but for me it sounds like this At this moment Agnes is quite different person. I love that crazy, joyfull Agnes very much!

[kant1781]

Let’s try not to simplify, we’ll have to divide viewers in different kinds of people.
I’ll try to begin.
1st group : people who doesn’t understand a line.........the less interesting one. We can put into for example Marcus, but is not the only case. Victoria would fit in too.
2nd group : people who never in their lives have been in love.....pathological cases, not very common.
3rd group : hardened hearts........hmmm........a really complex and interesting group, maybe it deserves an inner classification.
Who wants to continue............

I agree with Jimmy... those who hate the film and try to desecrate it (the imdb forum is full of people like that) at least are moved by it, and it is not too difficult to develop the theory that this film touches something in them that they simply do not want to be touched or even know about, maybe due to some unfortunate things that happened in their lives, and that's why they go on a rampage against it.
But I have showed it to some friends whom I thought must be as completely absorbed by it like I was.... but their reaction was something like "Oh yeah, I watched it.... quite nice." And nothing more. It is difficult to figure out what lies behind it. There are endlessly many factors that might play a role, so the construction of a typology is quite a towering project!

[Tommy]

I AM NOT ALONE!!!!!