I huvet på en gammal gubbe
Encyclopedia
Out of an Old Man's Head is a 1968 Swedish
film directed by Per Åhlin
and Tage Danielsson
, starring Hans Alfredson
as an old man remembering his past. Partly a black comedy
, the film was released around the same time as the urban renewal of the Klara quarters
in Stockholm, and could be seen as a comment both on the demolishing of the old buildings and on the welfare state
in general.
Out of the total running time of 77 minutes, about 50 minutes are animated
. It is considered to be the first Swedish animated feature film, although the first one that was fully animated was Agaton Sax and the Bykoebing Village Festival.
At the home, Johan is sitting in a wheelchair staring out the window, mumbling for himself about his past to an animated flashback
. Johan grew up on the countryside, when the grass was always green. His father was strong, his mother liked to bake. He was also harassed by a boy named Evert, while at the same time being in love with Evert's cute sister. At his confirmation, Evert tackled him so that all the girls' dresses were ruined by the sacramental wine
. This made Evert's sister laugh at him, and with his heart broken he decided to run away to Stockholm
.
Johan started to work as a masonry
, and carried bricks and bottles of beer to a foreman who consumed one bottle for ever brick he laid. In his loneliness, Johan fantasized about women, and made his first rousing visit to a brothel
. He grew a moustache and visited an amusement park with two friends he had made, Sven and a man from Värmland
who he has a hard time remembering the name of. They flirted with girls, and everybody laughed when Johan failed at kicking a can in order to camouflage a fart.
A nurse brings Johan back to reality to give him his medicine. Johan fantasizes about constructing a pyramid scheme
that will give him thousands of whiskey bottles. He imagines a life of luxury in Monte Carlo
, where he is also being chased by gangsters.
Once again Johan goes back to thinking about his past. He is struck by death angst while thinking of his dead parents. Johan also receives a letter from his son who ran away to America many years ago, since Johan wasn't a particularly successful father. The son is asking for money, while Johan is imagining what the American things mentioned in the letter might look like.
Johan is thinking about the modern day. The blocks he was involved in building are being demolished to give room for modernistic city planning. He summarizes his failed life for himself: poverty ruined his relationship, his son ran away and the wife died. He befriends Sven, another man at the retirement home, and together they drink to make the memories fade.
, Stockholm
and at the retirement home Lundahemmet in Solna Municipality
with many of the residents performing as themselves. The film was animated in Malmö
from April 1967 to 5 October 1968 by Åhlin and four other animators.
during the theatrical run in Sweden. It is yet to be released on home media.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
film directed by Per Åhlin
Per Åhlin
Per Johan Axel Åhlin , is a Swedish artist and animator.-Career:Åhlin started his career as an artist for the Hasseåtage production Svenska bilder from 1964. After that he has worked on several other Hasseåtage films, including The Adventures of Picasso from 1978 where he provided and animated...
and Tage Danielsson
Tage Danielsson
Tage Danielsson was a Swedish author, actor, poet and film director. He was born in Linköping and died in Stockholm...
, starring Hans Alfredson
Hans Alfredson
Hans Folke "Hasse" Alfredson is a Swedish actor, film director, writer and comedian. He was born in Malmö, Sweden. He is known for his collaboration with Tage Danielsson...
as an old man remembering his past. Partly a black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
, the film was released around the same time as the urban renewal of the Klara quarters
Redevelopment of Norrmalm
The redevelopment of Norrmalm was a major revision of the city plan for lower Norrmalm in Stockholm, Sweden, which was realised during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The renewal resulted in the old Klara quarters being replaced for the modern city of Stockholm, according to rigorist CBD ideas, while...
in Stockholm, and could be seen as a comment both on the demolishing of the old buildings and on the welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
in general.
Out of the total running time of 77 minutes, about 50 minutes are animated
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
. It is considered to be the first Swedish animated feature film, although the first one that was fully animated was Agaton Sax and the Bykoebing Village Festival.
Plot
On the way home to the run-down shack he lives in with a can of dog food meant for himself, Johan Björk is accidentally covered by a pile of car tires thrown by a man who fails to notice him. His cries for help aren't perceived by anyone except one drunk, who is caught by the police when calling for assistance. Finally, at night, a young couple making love on the pile of tires notice him. They help him to get up and assist him to his home. He is hurt in the leg and understands that he can't take care of himself anymore, so he is put in a retirement home.At the home, Johan is sitting in a wheelchair staring out the window, mumbling for himself about his past to an animated flashback
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
. Johan grew up on the countryside, when the grass was always green. His father was strong, his mother liked to bake. He was also harassed by a boy named Evert, while at the same time being in love with Evert's cute sister. At his confirmation, Evert tackled him so that all the girls' dresses were ruined by the sacramental wine
Sacramental wine
Sacramental wine, Communion wine or altar wine is wine obtained from grapes and intended for use in celebration of the Eucharist...
. This made Evert's sister laugh at him, and with his heart broken he decided to run away to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
Johan started to work as a masonry
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
, and carried bricks and bottles of beer to a foreman who consumed one bottle for ever brick he laid. In his loneliness, Johan fantasized about women, and made his first rousing visit to a brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
. He grew a moustache and visited an amusement park with two friends he had made, Sven and a man from Värmland
Värmland
' is a historical province or landskap in the west of middle Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland and Närke. It is also bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are Vermelandia and Wermelandia. Although the province's land originally was Götaland, the...
who he has a hard time remembering the name of. They flirted with girls, and everybody laughed when Johan failed at kicking a can in order to camouflage a fart.
A nurse brings Johan back to reality to give him his medicine. Johan fantasizes about constructing a pyramid scheme
Pyramid scheme
A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves promising participants payment or services, primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, rather than supplying any real investment or sale of products or services to the public...
that will give him thousands of whiskey bottles. He imagines a life of luxury in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
, where he is also being chased by gangsters.
Once again Johan goes back to thinking about his past. He is struck by death angst while thinking of his dead parents. Johan also receives a letter from his son who ran away to America many years ago, since Johan wasn't a particularly successful father. The son is asking for money, while Johan is imagining what the American things mentioned in the letter might look like.
Johan is thinking about the modern day. The blocks he was involved in building are being demolished to give room for modernistic city planning. He summarizes his failed life for himself: poverty ruined his relationship, his son ran away and the wife died. He befriends Sven, another man at the retirement home, and together they drink to make the memories fade.
Cast
- Hans AlfredsonHans AlfredsonHans Folke "Hasse" Alfredson is a Swedish actor, film director, writer and comedian. He was born in Malmö, Sweden. He is known for his collaboration with Tage Danielsson...
as Johan Björk - Karl-Axel Forssberg as Sven Juhlin
- Monica Ekman as Female student
- Gösta EkmanGösta EkmanHans Gösta Gustaf Ekman is a Swedish actor.-Biography:One of Sweden's most appreciated, respected and popular actors; Gösta Ekman started his career in theatre but has also appeared in several Swedish films, including the Jönssonligan series...
as Male student - Rolf Bengtsson as Drunk man
- Fatima Ekman as Foreign lady
- Nurse Ester as Herself
- Nurse Alise as Herself
- Tage DanielssonTage DanielssonTage Danielsson was a Swedish author, actor, poet and film director. He was born in Linköping and died in Stockholm...
as Car driver - Ernst GüntherErnst GüntherErnst Harry Ingemar Günther was a Swedish actor. He appeared in 66 films and television shows between 1962 and 1999...
as Man throwing car tires
Production
The live-action scenes were shot on SödermalmSödermalm
Södermalm, often shortened to "Söder", is a district in central Stockholm. It covers the large island formerly called "Åsön". With a population of 99,685, it is one of the most densely populated districts of Scandinavia...
, Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
and at the retirement home Lundahemmet in Solna Municipality
Solna Municipality
Solna Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden, located just north of the capital Stockholm. Its seat is located in the 'city' of Solna....
with many of the residents performing as themselves. The film was animated in Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
from April 1967 to 5 October 1968 by Åhlin and four other animators.
Release
Released on 6 December 1968, the film was a success and made 1,270,971 SEKSwedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
during the theatrical run in Sweden. It is yet to be released on home media.