"Songs from the Second Floor" is the ultimate film about the postmodern society. It shows uniform people, caught in the treadmill. Everyone gets stuck: in traffic jams, in drawers or in their beds, all symbolizing the inability to do something about their situation. We are all in the hands of the institutions and the global market powers. This is a world where the old generation sacrifice their young and where you cannot invite everyone to your birthday party (because then each guest would only get a small crumb, and that wouldn't be fun, would it?). The main character turns to the institutions for answers, but the church cannot help him, nor can the university or the clueless government. The only sane person in this movie has been put in a mental institution, because of his ability to write poems and to sit down, not participating in creating the constant traffic jams in the city without name (the city representing the postmodern world).
The film also has a religious theme. It pictures Jesus as a man without any gift for business, a loser who was crucified because of his kindness. Jesus didn't profit on other people, and therefore he has no place in postmodern culture. We have cast away all that is good so that our meaningless lives in the treadmill won't be challenged.
This film is really about sitting down, about rethinking your way of life before it's too late. It urges you to discover values other than making profits or being the soulless slave of the postmodern society. I think it's a masterpiece!
And I almost forgot: the film's got excellent acting and photo as well. This is the best Swedish movie since... Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" I guess.
The film also has a religious theme. It pictures Jesus as a man without any gift for business, a loser who was crucified because of his kindness. Jesus didn't profit on other people, and therefore he has no place in postmodern culture. We have cast away all that is good so that our meaningless lives in the treadmill won't be challenged.
This film is really about sitting down, about rethinking your way of life before it's too late. It urges you to discover values other than making profits or being the soulless slave of the postmodern society. I think it's a masterpiece!
And I almost forgot: the film's got excellent acting and photo as well. This is the best Swedish movie since... Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" I guess.