I realize this is an old thread, but as an American in love with Astrid Lindgren as the greatest children's author ever, I do feel qualified to comment. Yes, Americans are really that conservative/prudish that they think there is something wrong with it. The first couple of minutes of this film would drive a lot of Americans into an asthma attack, and then send them off writing to their senators to ban the movie and their priests for absolution for having seen it. There is some connection here that nudity is automatically sexual (it isn't) and that children are absolutely asexual (they're not). Put the two together and it's an explosive mix of cognitive dissonance. The tags are probably messages from pedophiles to recommend the film or from concerned parents not to subject themselves or their children to such obscenity. Adults' bodies are fine and children's bodies are pornographic. I can't account for it, but then, I probably should have been born in Sweden. There is so much good stuff in this film that I can't imagine anyone not wanting to watch it.
You mentioned Ronja Rövardotter. That may be my favorite Swedish film (either it or "Låt den rätte komma in") and was the one that turned me on to Lindgren. A work of art. I've since collected about a dozen films based on her works. Once my Swedish gets good enough, I plan to read the books. Ronja remains my favorite of her characters, with Madicken and Lotta vying for number two. For some reason, even though she was the only one to make it to the US, I never cared that much for Pippi. To date, however, "Peter och Petra" is the only film I can actually follow in Swedish.
About her name, have you seen this? http://www.astridlindgren.com/en/characters/mardie. I forget which film it was in (I think it was this one), but that scene where she stands up for Mia in school is a classic. Unlike Tom Sawyer's "noble" act, Madicken's was selfless.
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mae (2)
8 months ago
“ Americans are really that conservative/prudish that they think there is something wrong with it. The first couple of minutes of this film would drive a lot of Americans into an asthma attack, and then send them off writing to their senators to ban the movie and their priests for absolution for having seen it. There is some connection here that nudity is automatically sexual (it isn't) and that children are absolutely asexual (they're not). Put the two together and it's an explosive mix of cognitive dissonance”
Completely agree with you, they need to heal their brains if they see sexualisation in all childish nudity, especially in such an innocent
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Furienna (3322)
8 months ago
Indeed, it is an innocent scene with no lewdness.
But I doubt that it could have been done today.
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mae (2)
8 months ago
“ But I doubt that it could have been done today”
In current time, a director of such a scenes where naked children having fun would likely be charged with child sexual exploitation and molestation, and possibly even jailed for it.
Therefore, it is likely that no person nowadays would undertake the task of creating something like this, as they would not risk their reputation and freedom.
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