User reviews

Interesting film from Norway that is at times a bit too Strindberg-esque in its stiff, declamatory dialogue, where the characters tend to speak their inner thoughts rather than recognizable human talk. However, I very much liked the triangle that is thoughtfully presented by director Astrid Henning Jensen, with the stuffy , hypocritical bourgeoisie at one pole and the rebellious lovers at the other and the title establishment, a sandwich and pastry shop cum dance hall that welcomes both elements, stuck in the middle. Give it a B plus.

There is such a sense of claustrophobia and suffocation for this working mom in a small town - her neighbors all know her business, everyone expects her to crank out their dresses in time for a big social event even though her meager pay keeps her in poverty and close to eviction, and her estranged husband provides more condescending judgment of her than he does child support. On top of it all, her kids are oblivious to her sacrifices and expect her to fork over money for things which aren't necessities. It's no wonder she snaps and goes out for a glass of port at the local café in the middle of the day. She meets a man who cares for more than just her body, and soon one bottle of wine leads to another and her spending the night with him at his shack, scandalizing the town.

The film is remarkably open about adultery and the frustrations of marriage, particularly when the custom of marrying young and to the first guy who comes along is followed. It also critiques the wealthy and the patriarchy, giving us a full view of the double standard from a woman's perspective (thank you TCM for the series on women filmmakers, and thank you Astrid Henning-Jensen). The woman's husband is playing around, and another man is wolfish to an annoying degree, groping any female within arm's reach - and yet it's always the woman who draws the scorn of the gossiping townspeople. Even the young people get in on the act, peeking in windows and jeering lewd rhymes. The woman's daughter also feels the pressure, confiding through tears that men are all after her virginity.

The flashback into the woman's infidelity in the past was a nice touch (an affair with a 'Brief Encounter' type ending), but having the guy then immediately show up seemed a little overly contrived and unnecessary. I'm also not sure I liked how the film resolved itself, but I was happy it had laid bare so many sacred institutions in 1951 along the way. Rønnaug Alten is wonderful in the leading role, and while it's not perfect, this one is well worth checking out.