In the unforgettable world of writer/director Lukas Moodysson’s Together (Tillsamanns), a group of young people all living under the same roof find themselves questioning their long-held social and political beliefs as the world rapidly changes around them. “Did we throw out the good with the bad?,” “have we been too tolerant?,” and “have we not been tolerant enough?” are just some of the many things these revisionists ponder as they make their way through the exciting and bewildering early 1970s.
At the same time, in an ironic and poignant twist, the characters will find that despite their need for individual expression and freedom, what ultimately drives them is the overpowering desire to belong – to be “together.” And it’s this search for live and family – however unconventional and imperfect it may turn out to be – that gives this warm, funny, and authentic comedy its charming and unique viewpoint.
In 1975, when the American “hippie” movement had already given way to a post-Vietnam rethinking of youthful ideals and convictions -- not to mention the advent of disco music – a commune of free-thinking, free-spirited, free-loving men and women was still going strong in the heart of Stockholm, Sweden. Known as “Tillsammans” – Swedish for “Together” – the commune is the chaotic home to an array of would-be revolutionaries. United by their leftist politics, this eccentric “family” thrives on sexual openness, home-grown vegetables, lots of red wine, and perhaps, most importantly, the belief that it’s okay not to wear underwear in the kitchen. It’s a relaxed, cooperative environment, free of television, gift-giving, or any hint of “bourgeois” influence, led by the optimistic, peace-loving Goran (Gustaf Hammarsten), a kind soul who’d rather suffer than speak out.
There’s also Goran’s horny, wildly-emotional girlfriend Lena (Anja Lundqvist); the cynical, but charming med student Lasse (Ola Norell); Lasse’s ex-wife Anna (Jessica Liedberg), who left him to “become” a lesbian their eight-year-old son Tet (Axel Zuber), named after the Tet offensive of 1968; Klas (Shanti roney), a gay man with the hots for Lasse; Erik (Olle Sarri), an irritable, frustrated Communist; the principled Signe (Cecilia Frode), and her stubborn, idealistic husband Sigvard (Lars Frode).
Into the mix comes Goran’s sister Elisabeth (Lisa Lindgren), an alienated suburban housewife who leaves her insensitive, boozing husband Rolf (Michael Nyqvist) and moves into the commune with their insecure 10-year-old son Stefan (Sam Kessel) and shy, bespectacled 13-year-old daughter Eva (Emma Samuelsson). As Elisabeth breaks free of her oppressive husband, she quickly and happily assimilates into the looser, more unconventional world of “Tillsammans,” begins an unexpected friendship with lesbian Anna, and stops shaving her underarms.
But Elisabeth and her children’s presence soon begins to unravel the confusion and hypocrisy going on in the commune as well as within the seemingly respectable, “curtain-twitching” family house across the road. Whether because of Elisabeth’s new, objective voice or because of the social changes swirling around Sweden – and the world – by the mid-70s, everyone starts to reconsider the dogmas they’ve long held so dear. For instance, is children’s heroine “Pippi Longstocking” really that materialistic? Is a little meat for dinner really so terrible? And is television really such an “evil” influence?
While some of the commune members – like Erik, Signe, and Sigvare – become disenchanted with “Tillsammans,” everyone else begins to flourish as the group moves a bit more toward the “center.” Even those outside the house, like Rolf, his lonely plumber friend Birger (Sten Ljunggren), frearful neighbor Margit (Therese Brunnander), and her outcast teenage son Fredrik (Henrik Lundstrom) soon find their lives improved by the changing commune.
In the end, the friends and family of “Tillsammans” understand that social, political, and personal progress is both inevitable and necessary. You either keep up with world around your…or get left behind. -- © 2001 IFC Films
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