Line #43 Film/SmilesOfASummerNight


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/smiles_of_a_summer_night.jpg]]
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3	''Smiles of a Summer Night'' (''Sommarnattens leende'') is a 1955 [[UsefulNotes/{{Sweden}} Swedish]] film written and directed by Creator/IngmarBergman. It revolves around a LoveDodecahedron in Sweden around the turn of the century.
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5	Fredrik Egerman (Creator/GunnarBjornstrand) is a lawyer with a much younger wife named Anne (Creator/UllaJacobsson), an adult son named Henrik ([[Creator/BjornBjelfvenstam Björn Bjelfvenstam]]) from a previous marriage, and a servant named Petra (Creator/HarrietAndersson). The plot kicks off when an old flame of Fredrik's, actress Desirée Armfeldt (Creator/EvaDalhbeck) performs in a theater play Fredrik and Anne watch...
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7	It was adapted as the Music/StephenSondheim musical ''Theatre/ALittleNightMusic'', and loosely parodied in Creator/WoodyAllen's ''Film/AMidsummerNightsSexComedy''.
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9	----
10	!!Provides examples of:
11	* AdoptivePeerParent: Anne to Henrik.
12	* AristocratsAreEvil: Count Malcolm is a thoroughly unsympathetic character.
13	* AsYouKnow: Fredrik's coworkers quickly summarize the characters' backstories and relationships to each other at the beginning of the film.
14	* BehindTheBlack: Desirée enters Malcolm's bedroom. He warns her not to wake his wife. "But your wife ''is'' awake." Zoom back to reveal that Malcolm [[ItsAllAboutMe simply hasn't noticed]] that [[RuleOfFunny the other half of the bed is empty]].
15	* BlatantLies: The Countess denies being a gossipmonger after telling Anne about Fredrik being seen leaving Desirée's place at night wearing a nightshirt and claiming that she's heard that Desirée has full-blown orgies at her home.
16	* BungledSuicide: [[spoiler:Henrik tries to hang himself, but fails to do so.]]
17	* ButtMonkey: The others keep making fun of Henrik for studying theology and being romantically inept.
18	* {{Comedy}}: Probably the last film of Bergman which is primarily this. One of the few in his filmography too.
19	* DeadpanSnarker: Most of the characters, but Fredrik especially.
20	* EmoTeen: Henrik, though he's in his early 20s.
21	* EnemyMine: Desirée and the Countess may be romantic rivals, but they work together to untangle the LoveDodecahedron.
22	* {{Farce}}: Lampshaded when Count Malcolm shows up for the first time.
23	-->'''Fredrik:''' A gentleman doesn't face his rival without trousers! Can I hide somewhere?\
24	'''Desirée:''' [[YouWatchTooMuchX This isn't the theatre, my dear Fredrik.]]\
25	'''Fredrik:''' But this is a damn farce nonetheless!\
26	'''Malcolm:''' [Enters in full uniform to the sound of fanfares]
27	* GoryDiscretionShot: [[spoiler:Subverted. Fredrik loses the game of Russian Roulette offscreen. As it turns out, the Count had loaded the gun with soot.]]
28	* IronicEcho: Says Count Malcolm to the Countess after seeing Fredrik at Desirée's: "My wife may cheat on me, but if anyone touches my mistress, I become a tiger!". Later, after hearing that Fredrik is with the Countess, the Count proclaims to Desirée: "One can dally with my mistress, but touch my wife and I become a tiger!"
29	* LoveDodecahedron: Two men and two women at first. Four of each by the end.
30	* LuckBasedSearchTechnique: It's established that one of the rooms, a former royal bedchamber, has a button which will open a secret passage and roll in a bed from the ajoining bedroom. [[spoiler: When Henrik tries to hang himself over his attraction to his stepmother, not only does he fail, but he lands right on the button. Guess who's in the bed that rolls in right in front of him?]]
31	* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: Desirée is revealed to have a young son named Fredrik. When Fredrik freaks out she claims he was named for [[BlatantLies Frederick The Great]].
32	* MayDecemberRomance: Fredrik and Anne. Fredrik ''himself'' is so bothered by the age difference he can't even consummate the marriage.
33	-->'''Mrs Armfeldt:''' You have beautiful children, Mr Egerman. Especially the girl.\
34	'''Fredrik:''' The girl is my wife.\
35	'''Mrs Armfeldt:''' ...You live a very stressful life.
36	* MeaningfulEcho: Henrik quotes Martin Luther on temptation: "You cannot stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from nesting in your hair." Later, he declares: "Let the birds nest in my hair."
37	* MistakenForCheating: Count Malcom barges in on Fredrik wearing the Count's nightshirt and robe at Desirée's place. Fredrik had earlier fallen into a large puddle of water and changed into the only dry clothes available.
38	-->'''Malcolm:''' Do you mind if I slip out of my uniform and put on my robe?\
39	'''Desirée:''' I'm afraid it's occupied at the moment.\
40	'''Malcolm:''' I can see that, but [[ImpliedDeathThreat I expect it will be available in a few seconds]].
41	* TheNeidermeyer: Count Malcolm is a badass soldier... in an army the viewers know will never fight a war.
42	-->'''Fredrik:''' Will there be a war?\
43	'''Malcolm:''' Hah! Why would there be a war?\
44	'''Fredrik:''' [[DeadpanSnarker My point exactly]].
45	* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: In the opinion of Mrs. Armfeldt, at least. "Beware of good deeds. They cost far too much."
46	* ReallyGetsAround: Several characters, but Desirée's mother [[FormerTeenRebel takes the cake]]. She lives in a very fancy mansion given to her on the condition that she ''never'' publish her memoirs.
47	* RomanticComedy: "en romantisk komedi av INGMAR BERGMAN"[[note]]"a romantic comedy by INGMAR BERGMAN"[[/note]]
48	* RussianRoulette: [[spoiler:Fredrik and Count Malcolm play a game after the Count catches Fredrik with the Countess. It ends with Fredrik losing.]] See GoryDiscretionShot.
49	* SocialClimber: Petra is accused of being one by Beata.
50	* TalkingInYourSleep: Fredrik mumbles "Desirée" in his sleep while lying next to his wife Anne. She is not amused.
51	* ThisIsReality: Desirée brushes off Fredrik's suggestion that he hide when the Count shows up by pointing out that they're not on the stage. Fredrik counters that it's a farce all the same.
52	* UnspokenPlanGuarantee: Desirée and the Countess' plot to solve their romantic troubles.

Context Film / SmilesOfASummerNight