I LUST OCH NOD
One man's search for the most obscure, most ponderous, yet hottest porn flick of all time
THE RECEPTION
Well, I wish this were a more fun section, but the elephant in the room must be addressed: Ceremony was a flop and most of the critical response I've found (and there's not a lot) is dismissive and harsh. And the thing is - they're not entirely wrong.
The flaws that the following reviewers point out are definitely present and their viewpoints are totally understandable and valid. But there are those of us who champion the unsung, who find something of worth in the overlooked. Honestly, if I felt this movie were utter garbage, I wouldn't have taken the time and effort to compile this site.
To balance out the negative, I'm also including the reviews of the film from its IMDB page where I find a lot of folks on the same page as I; that there's just something unique and ambitious about this odd, meandering sex film.
Of course, your mileage may vary.
According to Swedish cult film expert Daniel Ekeroth in his indispensable book Swedish Sensationsfilms, film critic Jonas Sima of the newspaper Expressen had this to say on the film's 1976 release:
I haven't seen anything as stupid, uneventful, and dull as this, even in the old innocent boulevard cinema. We have hit rock bottom.
From the October 1977 issue of the UK magazine Cinema Blue, reviewing the British release of Private Pleasures:
Warm title; cold film. Cold as in rigor-mortis.
The script takes some believing, too, providing of course, you manage to stay the course - awake . For this is, above all else, a v-e-r-y s-l-o-w and extremely boring sex movie. Most of the sex has been excised, as honestly demonstrated by the distributors during BBC-TV's Tonight discussion on the hypocritical variance between British and Swedish censorship. (They cut blood-letting violence; we cut love-making genitalia.)
What little foreplay, and aftermath, is left, tries too hard to be socially significant, to make something out of nothing. The nothing being the fact that we are actually expected to believe in heroine Elona Glenn turning schizoid with fear about marrying the chap she's been living with for three years, and happily so - because in the words of the Swedish synopsis he's “a good lover,” or as the subtitles have it, “a good fuck.”
Writer-director Paul Gerber is attempting to say something here about the needless rituals of marriage ceremonials; ancient traditions arranged not for the couple involved, but their folks and friends. Hardly a new line, but rarely depicted so heavy-handedly before, as Gerber tries to come on as a Bergman of TV commercials. His flash-bangthank-you-man opening sex scene looks like a swinging electric light bulb ad. “You see more when screwing by Mazda!”
Gerber even adds a would be Bergmanesque figure of a hermit writer, killing the film stone dead by expounding his views with the speed and clarity of a tortoise traversing the empty M1 at dawn. This character, plus Gerber's annoying flashbacks - and forwards - one atop another, drown the whole premise. His photography is very pretty though. More so than the leading lady, who eventually exorcises her marital doubts by jumping into bed with a brash night club owner and his star turn, who proves - surprise, surpise! - to be Mary Millington. Or again, what's left of her part(s). “Yes, I vaguely remember making it when I worked in Sweden two years ago,” says Mary. “But I knew the girl star as Glenna. Good actress. Never made a sex-film before. Never been to bed with a woman before, either. Nice girl, though. I named my dog after her when I got home.” And there is no answer to that . . .
Time Out magazine was a little more gentle with their review of Private Pleasures:
This somewhat pretentious Swedish sex offering about a young woman's discovery of her 'duality' displays a lot of ostentatious camerawork and arty editing which will probably go unnoticed by most patrons. Essentially a rather stolid reworking of the Emmanuelle themes, the film nevertheless makes some effort with its psychological mystery plot and attention to detail. Occasional sequences deserve a place in a much better movie (a drowsy conversation in the bright sun, for instance), and Elona Glenn adds distinction. The rest scarcely lives up to its rather over-inflated estimation of its own 'significance'.
Here's a recent (2010) online review of the Spanish VHS version La Insaciable, by a gent named Gerard Fernandez Ordel on the website cinemedianoche.blogspot.com:
Elisabeth, who is a few days after marrying David, suffers a great internal dilemma: being a happy and faithful wife or being carried away by a sexual impulse that makes her have intimate relationships with any stranger. During the days before the wedding she will try to find herself and know which is the real Elisabeth. A mysterious and mystical writer who lives inside an island will try to help her. The days pass and the wedding is celebrated but the thing does not improve; Elisabeth goes deeper into her world of sexual perversion, visiting nightclubs and participating in orgies. Meanwhile, David, wait for her at home.
The crazy writer has the answer: inside that woman there are two Elisabeth and she can never avoid it.
Once I read that Sweden was the country with the highest suicide rate in the world, and without a doubt seeing the protagonist of this film the thing is better understood. This Swedish softcore is a tremendous reason, it has a strange rhythm, its music that gives bad vibes and the voiceover of Elisabeth (Elona Glenn) that does not stop psycho-analyzing borders on schizophrenia; Sick introspection with night raids in clubs and a final stretch of film where there is hardly any dialogue. Then there is the writer's character, as disturbing as extravagant; This character is played by Per-Axel Arosenius, an actor who played the father of Christina Lindberg in the now mythical Thriller: A Cruel Picture. The good of Arosenius (also seen in Topaz) does not help much to demystify the legend about suicide in Sweden, since in 1981 he died burning himself in protest against an economic dispute with his country's tax authorities. The Swedish sexploitation, a reef that little or nothing resembles almost always the playful style of Mediterranean or even German erotic productions.
The Insatiable was released in Spain in June 1979 and obtained the "S" classification.
And, finally, here are a few comments gathered from the film's IMDB page comments section (NOTE: the majority of these commenters seem, like myself, to have mainly been familiar with the softcore edit, thus the many references to the film not being porn. Sorry if it changes anybody's feelings for the film, but it most definitely is.):
13 November 2008
CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS
Well.....I cannot believe I am the only one with a copy of this movie, seeing as how I only recorded it off Showtime in the 1980's, while I was an adolescent boy, wanting to see naked girls LOL. I recorded in on long play VHS, and just transferred it to DVD. I thought that the transfer was bad, but it turns out that the movie was shot grainy and static(y). It only adds to the realism of the movie though, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's a fluke I even have it, as I had gotten rid of dozens of old taped Showtime shows at one point, and saved this one for some reason. Even being young, I must have seen something in it, besides the nudity. My copy is called "Liz," has English speaking with no subtitles, and does have the lesbian/orgy scene at the end, just before she goes home, and then to the old man in the woods. I would classify this as a Hard "R" rating, more than an X rating. I do know that Showtime, at the time, did not edit their movies, and this one was always on in the middle of the night. I have no clue whatsoever if any other Harder or softer versions exist. I don't care, because I like mine just the way it is.
As an adult, and having seen countless hours of real porn, this movie is a keeper. Great acting, realism, no XXX shots with people posing while having sex, etc..... Everyone is natural too, and most importantly, this movie was written from a female's point of view, and even dabbles in Philosophy a bit. "You can't change what you are...." Great stuff.
Erotic, vivid Eastman colour story
20 October 2006
I saw this film at a four studio complex in BLACKPOOL England in or around 1977-78.It appeared under the title in this country "Private Pleasures" It was NOT censored and contained the final famous lesbian scene which included the then sex siren Mary Millington,(one of the few reasons i remember it)Very little information appears on any search engine I have visited apart from cast and credits. On visiting Swedish film directors (37) and Swedish film producers (2) sites neither gentleman Paul Gerber the director or Goran Sjostedt is even mentioned indeed i cant find any other details about video copies posters photographs, it would appear to have disappeared off the planet in any shape or form. Being so long ago I apologise for the non-information but you appear to have not one single review of this particular film. My curiosity was aroused by going on the late lamented Miss Millingtons website, and being reminded of her appearance in the last 10 minutes of the film, which you can"t actually find on her site! If you would like to ask me questions on it and have more information than i can glean from the internet I would be only too pleased to respond.
12 November 2004
Would like to see this again but can not find it. Seen a few years ago on cable but for some unknown reason, it hasn't been shown since. Would like a copy if anyone has one or information on when it will be on in America again. This move was made in a European country with sub-titles and released with different names in different countries,i.e. "Ceremony". Made in 1976 it was done with a good talent pool and looked at the inner thoughts of the female mind.I believe Mr.Green captured what he was searching for when he done this movie,don't understand why it isn't on VHS or DVD. Once again if anyone has any ideas where we can get this movie, I know a few people who would like to have it in their collection.
Woman's fantasy before she marries
20 November 2003
I am looking for a copy of this film. I had it once and lost it. It is one of the few single-x-rated films that is from the woman's point of view. It is not simply for the pleasure of men, but for her. She does not have silicone breasts, as far as I can tell. There are several names for this film: Liz, Ceremony, I Lust Och Nod, Private Pleasures. The last is from Britain and is the censored version, apparently.
Excellent soft-core about a woman's fantasies
18 February 2000
I liked this film because it was from a woman's point of view and it was not violent. Her thoughts are done in voice-over. The scenes and images are tasteful, and reflect a more realistic view of what would please a woman (as opposed to most porn films, full of borderline abuse and a complete disregard for the physical realities of women's arousal needs.)
It is subtitled, but there is not a lot of dialog.
It's nice to know that I'm not alone and that a few folks still remember this flick!
ELIZABETH: C'mon, David. Let's not go through it again. One day it's me, the next day it's you. Let's just remember our deal. It's their party. We'll go along. Okay?
