I am surprised how well this film holds up. It seems less dated and more LGBT+ inclusive than the American remake that was made 18 years after this was. This is one of the earliest films-especially in a mainstream context-that presented drag as an activity that some men enjoyed doing for its own sake. Prior drag films, or crossdressing films, predicated the stars getting into flocks for plot reasons. I.e. In Some Like It Hot the leads cross-dress to escape the mob, and in the various Charly's Aunts guy dresses up to be chaperone. Here Albin does drag because he enjoys it and for its own sake. That is quite revolutionary given the time period this was made.
Albin might be the butt of a lot of jokes but the film is more playful than spiteful towards him. This is gay culture as seen through straight eyes but they are at least eyes with sympathy. That too is revolutionary.
But the film is utterly traditional in a lot of ways. It is farce on the oldest subject in the world-the conflict between (prospective) in-laws. It even has the sit-com like structure of the in-laws having different politics, ala All in the Family. It's shot as a intimate farce and family film. And the cast is nothing if not board.
It is this contrast-LGBT+ folks be included as more than victims or villains in a conventional plot-that make this a classic and very funny film.
Albin might be the butt of a lot of jokes but the film is more playful than spiteful towards him. This is gay culture as seen through straight eyes but they are at least eyes with sympathy. That too is revolutionary.
But the film is utterly traditional in a lot of ways. It is farce on the oldest subject in the world-the conflict between (prospective) in-laws. It even has the sit-com like structure of the in-laws having different politics, ala All in the Family. It's shot as a intimate farce and family film. And the cast is nothing if not board.
It is this contrast-LGBT+ folks be included as more than victims or villains in a conventional plot-that make this a classic and very funny film.