Themes: Down on Their Luck, Kids in Trouble, Police Corruption
Main Cast: Lars Lind, Leif Nymark, Lena Nyman
Release Year: 1964
Country: SE
Run Time: 110 minutes
Plot
Based on a Lars Goerling novel, the Swedish 491 took on a life of its own thanks to its myriad of censorship problems. The basic story concerns a group of juvenile delinquents, in particular a girl (Lena Nyman) and a boy (Leif Nymark). The film's censorial sore points included scenes between homosexuals and an interlude with a prostitute; also, bestiality was suggested, though never shown. Filmmaker Vilgot Sjoman had to go all the way to Swedish Parliament to get his film into theatres; this he accomplished only after making several judicious cuts, and redubbing certain dialogue passages. In the US, the film didn't have a chance; this was, after all still the Production Era. Bloody but unbowed, Vilgot Sjoman went on to direct the even more graphic and controversial I Am Curious-Yellow (1967) - which did get an American release. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
491 is a 1964Swedish black and white drama film directed by Vilgot Sjöman, based on a novel by Lars Görling. The story is about a group of youth criminals who are chosen to participate in a social experiment, where they are assigned to live together in an apartment while being supervised by two forgiving social workers. The tagline is: It is written that 490 times you can sin and be forgiven. This motion picture is about the 491st.
This controversial film, which featured a male homosexual rape scene, was first banned in Sweden, but released after reediting. Amongst other things, a scene in which a woman is raped by a dog was cut. The film was also banned in Norway until 1971. The reactions from especially conservative elements in Sweden were of disgust and outrage, and it was one of the reasons why the Christian Democratic Party was founded in 1965.
