Psychedelica Blues
| Psychedelica Blues | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Nils Reinhardt Christensen |
| Written by | Nils Reinhardt Christensen |
| Based on | Karin Bang's novel Blues (1968) |
| Produced by | Bente Erichsen |
| Starring | Kjersti Døvigen Finn Kvalem Ståle Bjørnhaug Ditlef Eckhoff |
| Cinematography | Gunnar Syvertsen |
| Edited by | Edith Toreg |
| Music by | Ralph Lundsten Kjell Karlsen |
| Distributed by | Norenafilm |
Release date |
|
Running time | 84 minutes |
| Country | Norway |
| Language | Norwegian |
Psychedelica Blues is a Norwegian youth drama film from 1969 directed by Nils Reinhardt Christensen.[1][2] Along with Øyvind Vennerød's Himmel og helvete, it was the first Norwegian film that dealt with adolescents' use of narcotics,[3] and it was the first Norwegian film to clearly depict the use of LSD. Because it was released after Vennerød's film, it received far less attention.
Plot[edit]
The story deals with four days in Lissy's life in which she finds an outlet for a rebellious urge that has built up over several years. Lissy comes from a sheltered home with a conventional father who is a municipal politician. In the new environment she slips into the circle around the jazz group The Blue Bells, where she meets Lillegutt (Little Boy). He is a key member of the gang and supplier of drugs. Lillegutt is a cynical and intelligent judge of character, who has turned his back on a society of hypocrites. Through him, Lissy opens her eyes to the dividing lines between what is accepted and what is real.[4]
Background[edit]
Christensen had previously seen success with the film Line in 1961 and with his Stompa films (1962–1967). He chose to base his last film on Karin Bang's 1968 novel Blues.[5] In contrast to Himmel og helvete, Christensen chose a more experimentalist style and a less moralizing story, always portraying Lissy's own perspective.
Reception[edit]
The film received mixed reviews. Finn Syversen wrote in Aftenposten that "Christensen has wisely refrained from using the notion of drug abuse as a polemic topic. The debate on this phenomenon, which is relatively little explored by medical and sociological experts, has thus not been allowed to influence his intentions in any provocative, trend-setting way. ... We fully believe in Kjersti Døvigen's Lissy, who gives the role a character that reveals that she has a certain intuition for symptoms of loneliness in the cynical pessimism that plagues so many of today's young people. ... Repetitions of motifs were probably not avoidable in such a film, but they do not weaken the impression to any great extent. Psychedelia Blues is a highly worthwhile experiment."
Cast[edit]
- Kjersti Døvigen as Lissy
- Finn Kvalem as Lillegutt
- Ståle Bjørnhaug as Leif
- Ditlef Eckhoff as Wilhelm
- Thomas Fasting as Jan
- Truls Dramar as Joppe
- Knut M. Hansson as Ragnar Borg
- Vibeke Falk as Molle Borg
- Kjell Frantzen as Brun, a university lecturer
- Svein Sturla Hungnes
- Helge Hurum as a band member
- Per Jansen as Eigil
- Randi Nordby as Mrs. Korsmo
- Eva Opaker as an alternative
- Arve Opsahl as Hans Korsmo
- Anne Marie Ottersen as Liven
- Gloria Rose as La Bommie
- Espen Rud as a band member
- Kåre Tengs-Pedersen as a band member
References[edit]
- ^ Krawc, Alfred (1986). International Directory of Cinematographers, Set- and Costume Designers in Film: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden (from the Beginnings to 1984). Munich: Saur. p. 553.
- ^ Making Pictures: A Century of European Cinematography. London: Aurum. 2003. p. 443.
- ^ Vold, Jan Erik (2001). Uten manus: dokumentarisk 1980–2000. Oslo: Gyldendal. p. 305.
- ^ "Psychedelica blues". Norsk filmografi. Nasjonalbiblioteket. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Karin Bang". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
External links[edit]
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