If while channel surfing you happen to stop on a Guillermo del Toro film, you will know it’s one of his films just by looking at it. The bright fanciful colors, the unique and frightening characters, all are trademarks of his. Many directors have a style all their own that transcends every project they work on. Just by watching the Swedish film You, the Living, you won’t have to see any of the previous films by director Roy Andersson to know that he is one of those directors with a vision like no other.
Instead of a plot, the film revolves around the central theme of people being unsatisfied with their lives. If that alone sounds too depressing, it’s really not. The film uses many techniques to make these people come across as humorous, such as having the characters speak directly to the camera, and using Dixieland music throughout the film. The individual stories themselves are silly enough to make you understand that Andersson isn’t trying to make us feel sad for these characters, but that he’s making light of the human need to complain about their lives.
In one story, a man has a dream of being tried by jury and then executed for performing the “tablecloth trick” at a dinner party where the host has used 200 year old china. In another, an overweight woman yells at her overweight boyfriend because she thinks that he thinks she is unattractive. In another, a young woman has a crush on a superstar musician and dreams of marrying him. And in another, a man uncovers his prejudice against his Arabic hairdresser, and the hairdresser gives him a less than flattering haircut.
The colors used in the film are muted and gray, but that doesn’t mean it’s not beautiful. Every shot looks like you could take a picture of it, frame it, and hang it on a museum wall.
The title You, the Living could mean anything (a quote by Goerthe at the beginning of the film includes the title), but I thought of it having a spiritual meaning. Throughout the film, the skies are overcast and sometimes stormy, but at the end the sky clears. Various people are seen looking up at the sky, and then it cuts to a formation of bomber planes flying over the city. Perhaps this means that even though we might complain about our lives here on earth, that we should be more appreciative because everything could end at any moment. Whatever its meaning, You, the Living is a unique film, one unlike anything you have ever seen or will see again. Roy Andersson may not be the most commercial of directors, but he is one with a vision.
The film is presented in a 1.66:1 aspect ratio, and like I said, it is gorgeous. The sound is muffled in places, but I think that is for effect and was intentional. Great looking DVD.
Commentary by Director Roy Andersson
Roy Andersson in New York, Sept 2009 Featurette – A compilation of interviews and footage from a Q&A with the director in which he talks about several things. Namely his preferences in lighting “without mercy”, so that no shadows are created. He also prefers wide angles to close-ups, which is seen in the film. When asked about his film being depressing, he says that is not his intention, life is humorous. (20:05)
A Time For Everything: A Documentary About Roy Andersson and Studio 24 – Andersson shows how he and his studio created the sets for the film. All of the sets were created in his personal studio, and used old tricks of the eye to create space and depth. Very fascinating stuff. (12:45)
“Sample Of Sets” Featurette – Not really a sample, as this shows footage of nearly every set used in the film. (8:05)
Scenes from Films By Roy Andersson – Short sampling of scenes from his other films: Love Story, Giliap, Something Has Happened, Oh The World Is Fair, Songs From The Second Floor (15:31)
You, the Living is such a unique film that it won’t appeal to everyone. It is dark, it does deal with people complaining, the subject matter is fairly depressing. But if you can view it as farce and a way NOT to live your life, you will enjoy this movie much more.
Palisades Tartan presents You the Living. Directed by: Roy Andersson. Starring: Jessica Luglund, Elisabet Helander, Bjorn Englnd. Written by: Roy Andersson. Running time: 95 minutes. Rating: NR. Released on DVD: January 12, 2010. Available at Amazon.com.
