Duellen

Duellen
Directed by	Knud Leif Thomsen
Written by	Knud Leif Thomsen
Starring	Frits Helmuth
Cinematography	Arne Abrahamsen
Release date	9 February 1962 (1962-02-09)
Running time	97 minutes
Country	Denmark
Language	Danish

Duellen (The Duel) is a 1962 Danish drama film directed by Knud Leif Thomsen. It was entered into the 12th Berlin International Film Festival.

Cast

• Frits Helmuth - Mikael
• Malene Schwartz - Tina
• John Price - Claes
• Axel Strøbye - Basse
• Hans Kurt - Player 1
• Buster Larsen - Player 2
• Vera Gebuhr - Lene
• Albert Watson - Match Referee
• Ulla Darni - Chorus Singer Sussy
• Elith Pio - Tina's grandfather
• Poul Müller - Professor
• Karl Stegger - Overseer
• Aage Winther-Jørgensen - Blood donor
• Minna Jørgensen - Nurse
• Paul Thomsen - Servant
• Knud Rex - Conference attendee

Setting

This film came about whilst in Denmark, there was an intense debate whether censorship should remain and meddle in, what (foreign) classic erotic literature could be translated and published together with similar upcoming domestic works, or which age group could be considered allowed to watch films of interest to youth.^[1]

Synopsis and critics reception

The story is a classic triangle drama about Mikael, a medicine student, who the casual liberal man he thinks he is, works extra at a strip club, where he meets and falls in love with Tina. She dreams of a film career, and works extra as an assistant and mistress for an older cynical film director Claes. When Mikael finds out, confused and hurt, he rather surprisingly challenges Claes to a duel.

The film received positive reviews for being the first Danish film in a long time to believe in something and shed light on moral and social issues of the time.^[1]

References

1. Stevenson, Jack, 1955- (2010). Scandinavian blue : the erotic cinema of Sweden and Denmark in the 1960s and 1970s. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. pp. 23–27. ISBN 978-0-7864-4488-5. OCLC 449283851.

External links

• Duellen at IMDb