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- Title
Clichés français sur la Suède -- étude de la réception en Suède de La délicatesse de David Foenkinos et de son adaptation cinématographique.
- Authors
Bladh, Elisabeth; Alvstad, Cecilia; Ramnäs, Mårten
- Abstract
The French author David Foenkinos' novel La délicatesse (Delicacy) and its subsequent film version, starring Audrey Tautou and François Damiens, frequently stereotypes Sweden and Swedes. In this article, we examine the reception in Sweden of both the Swedish translation and the movie. Since Swedish readers and film viewers have other preconceptions about what it means to be Swedish than a French audience does, it is interesting to shed light on whether Swedish critics and bloggers accept the national stereotype about themselves, or whether they reject it (and in that case how). Though some Swedish critics appreciate the way that Foenkinos chose to portray the male protagonist as a depressive, clumsy Swede, many reviewers fail to understand why such an unflattering portrayal of their country should be funny. They also question why a relationship between two people who at first sight do not seem to have much in common (an elegant French woman and an unattractive Swedish man) should be so controversial. Moreover, many blog reviews do not mention the Swedish element of the story at all. Although this might not be all that surprising, given that the main function of the Swedish theme is to increase the differences between the lead characters, Swedish readers and filmgoers are nevertheless interested in learning more about why the author used these allegedly inaccurate clichés.
- Subjects
LA Delicatesse (Film); FRENCH films; LA delicatesse (Book); FOENKINOS, David; STEREOTYPES in motion pictures; STEREOTYPES in literature; SWEDES in literature
- Publication
Synergies Pays Scandinaves, 2012, Issue 7, p57
- ISSN
1901-3809
- Publication type
Article