Sweet Movie
The Criterion Collection
Pushing his themes of sexual liberation to their boiling point, Yugoslavian art-house provocateur Dusan Makavejev followed his international sensation WR: Mysteries of the Organism with this full-throated shriek in the face of bourgeois complacency and movie watching. Sweet Movie tackles the limits of personal and political freedom with kaleidoscopic feverishness, shuttling viewers from a gynecological beauty pageant to a grotesque food orgy with scatological, taboo-shattering glee. With its lewd abandon and sketch-comedy perversity, Sweet Movie became both a cult staple and exemplar of the envelope pushing of 1970s cinema.
Member Reviews
Sweet as Pi - as Confusing as Well - sinfrost
Once you get past the abundance of sex (never tasteless, actually rather tasty - see: chocolate scene), you can begin to feel comfortable with the greater ideas this film is getting across. Just when you think it's reached its shock factor peak, it one ups you.
A truly hypnotic, extremely funny, film.
Makavejev seems to be interested in huge themes. He deals with the tyranny over (not of one nation) one self, the importance of a child's sexual curiosity, denial of death/nature, woman's role as martyrs in society, and the list goes on...It begs you to reconsider everything that's considered "sweet".huh - bigshooter
well what to say about this one. I have seen alot of stuff in all kinds of movies but this was different to say the least, certainly lots of body fluids in it umm wow i don't know what else to say, not for everyone if you think you can stomach it it's not a right off for sure it had some artistic abilities its just different you watch it and decide for yourself but be warned lots of body fluidsNot for everyone, and I mean it - Pitou
First thing, this movie will not be pleasant to most viewers. Even those who will like it (if they are any) or find something interesting in it will still be left in a state of disorientation. Contrary to another review here, I really think one can make sense of this film. This film pushes the boundaries of the two world view that were at the centre of intellectual life in the 1970’s western world: the bourgeois capitalist society and the anti-capitalist communism (which is here presented through the romantic experience of a commune). The two women who hold the narrative together reject both the conformism of bourgeois society and the rigidity of communism. The bourgeois is obsessed by cleanliness, has very bad knowledge of history (or reality?) and is incapable of sexually satisfying his wife. The commune members are obsessed by bodily fluids (all of them!), transgressing bourgeois values (showing that abundance leaves you sick) and sexualizing every aspect of life. When the woman from the capitalist society enters the commune, she is incapable of feeling at ease with her new «friends». The same thing happens albeit differently to the woman from a communist country has she enters a society of abundance (metaphorically the boat full of sugar and candies). She needs to seduce revolutionaries and pre-teens but in the end kill all who are seduced. In the end, the movie is much about creating discomfort in the viewer (maybe in a brechtian way, without breaking the fourth wall, but certainly by creating discomfort). It also criticizes both capitalism and communism, nothing is left intact. And worst, for the average movie watcher, it does not try to answer any questions (What in the end is good or bad, Capitalism or Communism?). I’m not saying this movie is great, but it got me thinking a lot. In such, this makes viewing it rewarding (even if some of the scenes are really disgusting and silly).
Member Reviews
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Sweet as Pi - as Confusing as Well - sinfrost
Once you get past the abundance of sex (never tasteless, actually rather tasty - see: chocolate scene), you can begin to feel comfortable with the greater ideas this film is getting across. Just when you think it's reached its shock factor peak, it one ups ...huh - bigshooter
well what to say about this one. I have seen alot of stuff in all kinds of movies but this was different to say the least, certainly lots of body fluids in it umm wow i don't know what else to say, not for everyone if you think you can stomach it it's not ...Not for everyone, and I mean it - Pitou
First thing, this movie will not be pleasant to most viewers. Even those who will like it (if they are any) or find something interesting in it will still be left in a state of disorientation. Contrary to another review here, I really think one can make sense ...