December 15, 2015 -- This Swedish film is kind of like a cross between an Ingmar Bergman film and a Monty Python film. Parts of it are funny and parts of it are very bleak or disturbing.

Set up like a series of comedy sketches, the two central characters are novelty salesmen, Jonathan, (played by Holger Andersson) and Sam (Nisse Vestblom) who sell fake vampire fangs (long and short ones) a bag that produces laughter and an ogre-like mask. Their sales pitch is very reserved, even sad. They do not have upbeat personalities. When they say they want to make people laugh, they don't look or sound convincing.

Not surprisingly, the two salesmen are not very successful. Most store owners decline to carry their product. One store that does carry their products won't pay them for the products they've sold. Their product suppliers show up at the apartment building (the apartment manager is also very strange) where Jonathan and Sam live, demanding payment, but they have no money.

Jonathan and Sam have a falling out and refuse to speak to each other. It is pretty obvious, however, that they need each other, so they finally resume their friendship. A scene with the same dialog occurs throughout the movie. A person, usually a woman, talks on the phone saying “I'm happy to hear you are doing fine,” or words to that effect.

In one of the most disturbing scenes in the movie, a woman talks on the phone saying she is happy to hear another person is doing fine, while in the foreground, a monkey hooked up to some scientific test apparatus screams in agony. The other disturbing scene has English soldiers forcing what appears to be African prisoners into a large cylinder. Then a fire is lit under the cylinder. The cylinder slowly begins to revolve.

There are other surrealistic elements in the movie, such as the appearance of King Charles (Karl) XII (1682 – 1718) who stops at a modern restaurant on his way to a war, probably with Russia. He takes a handsome young man from the restaurant with him to sleep in the king's tent. Later, his wounded, defeated army staggers homeward. He stops again at the same restaurant, humbled, with no mention of the young man who left with him earlier.

This is the third film in a trilogy by director Roy Andersson, the other two were “Songs from the Second Floor” (2000) and “You, the Living” (2007). I did not see the other two, and that probably makes it more difficult to make sense of this one, but having seen this, I have no wish to see the other two.

This film could be an exercise in existentialist philosophy, using absurd, surrealistic stories to highlight life's absurdities. The characters Jonathan and Sam seem to represent existential ennui, caught in a meaningless treadmill of existence. Another character in the film goes to a restaurant several times to meet someone, but they are never there. This is very typical of some existential stories. Some characters in the film express genuine concern for one another, some are indifferent to their fellow people (and animals). I am not a fan of existentialist philosophy. I'm more of a follower of the Ludwig Wittgenstein school of philosophy. This film rates a C.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

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