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Svezia, Inferno e Paradiso




"This free, rich Sweden unhappy, so unhappy without redemption ..." the person who say it is not the Sultan of Brunei, and even an inhabitant of some island turned into a "tax haven", but it is the voice of the italian actor Enrico Maria Salerno, narrator of this particular "Mondo Movie" designed by  Luigi Scattini in 1968.

A "Mondo Movie" different from the others, not wild, but metropolitan, and incredibly critical of Sweden. This movie is permeated by a sense, somewhat excessive, of an italian superiority  strong of traditions and righteousness, seems to destroy the traditions and customs of the Scandinavian country, that we know as social services and democracy has always been at the highest levels.
The criticism is underlined by the voice of Enrico Maria Salerno that apart his artistic caliber has never caused us great sympathy. Here he put all efforts possible to show some pride by using ad hoc voice on a text that is really hateful.
These Swedes so open-minded to teach sex education in schools, to ensure medical care and legalized abortion. The Swedes so open-minded to tolerate sex shops in downtown, escapades, sexual intercourse at a young age, location, lesbian and more. These Swedes so open-minded to being being victims of a deep depression that leads them to alcoholism, drugs, and create  motorcycle gangs that roam the country raping young women. These Swedes so arrogant as to renounce the throne to pursue an entrepreneurial career in the high design.

Oh well. We are Italians and we were and are different and the voyeurism of this film,  bare breasts here and there, as well as morbid visions of decay, brought us to the movies by cashing in "Sweden Heaven and Hell" about a billion. It was the times when the information was not so available and the legends about this blessed Sweden circulated in Italy in an industrial way. Curious. Not that time is different but beyond Sweden there are a lot of other nations on which they tell interesting stories ...
Scattini put together with incredible realism, given that many of these things, rape for one thing and another group of toxic to name, were the result of clever staging by the book "Movie World" .

The film appears to our eyes clearly a long trash comic , out of our time, and frankly the narrative voice takes on the verge of stopping everything and finish the vision.
"Sweden Heaven and Hell" has an amazing soundtrack composed by the great Pietro Umiliani. A Pop, jazz fun, sound, sometimes kitsch, accompanies all the documentary peaking with the famous "Mah Nah, Mah Nah "song then reused, in addition to a plethora of ways, in the" Muppet Show ".

From the official website of director Luigi Scattini, we learn a lot 'of interesting things. Sixth film for him and according to "Mondo" was born after reading a book by journalist Enrico Altavilla. "Sweden Heaven and Hell" should never have shown in Sweden, of course, and the strength of that promise many interpreters accept the part. But the film was broadcast the same, even on Christmas Eve, thanks to a group of journalists who sought a scandal at all costs. Was clearly the beginning of bitter controversy, almost a diplomatic incident, with an official protest and the forbidenn entry in  Sweden for the director.