Christmas might be the holiday that appears most frequently in films out of all of the holidays of the world. But why are there so many Christmas films, and which ones should you watch?
When Christmas is on its way, many people feel an inexplicable longing to curl up in the corner of the sofa with a voluminous platter of goodies and indulge in a really good Christmas film. In order to get a merry film-Christmas, Lundagård enlists an expert, Anders Marklund, university lecturer in film studies.
Why are so many films set around Christmas in particular?
“I think that the themes of community, generosity, and a faith in a slightly magical overcoming of problems such as poverty and loneliness always are appreciated. It offers a happy ending to stories as well. Christmas also offers some quite intergenerational stories, that from a purely commercial standpoint can be seen as an attractive genre to make films within.”
It’s not uncommon to hear a lot of complaints about everything that needs to be done around Christmas. But why do people like Christmas films?
“There are many kinds of Christmas films, from horror such as Sint and Rare Exports, to a multitude of romantic comedies of the Love Actually type. The starting point in all cases is that the films deal with something that almost everyone can relate to, and perhaps also want to preserve in some way.”
What do you think a Christmas film worth watching needs to have?
“In Christmas films there should be a nice, big, happy feeling of community which is secured towards the end of the story, and which is grounded in the fact that a number of conflicts have been overcome. There should also be a few modern perspectives on the Christmas traditions. Of course, the films need to connect with things that everybody can relate to, but I’m guessing that most people would love to see some renewal of these traditions as well. It could be seen as a negotiation between the perspectives of different generations, or as a negotiation between a nostalgic view of Christmas and the modern reality.”
Many people start furtively baking gingerbread and saffron buns at the end of October, but when can you really start watching Christmas films?
“Christmas films should probably not be seen before November, and hardly after New Year’s Eve.”
A number of classic films are shown on TV around Christmas, year after year, despite not really having any connection with Christmas. One example is The Sound of Music. How does a “non-Christmas film” become a typical Christmas film?
They offer a fairly sweet and harmless story, without being pointless or uninteresting. In the best cases the whole family can gather around them. A film which always brings the same feeling of joy. But, chance and pure arbitrariness also play a part. The Sound of Music was a popular film when it came out as well, and if it then became the film that was bought by TV channels to show for Christmas, it might have become a tradition for that reason…”
If you were to watch three Christmas films only, which ones would they be?
“I have a weakness for Kan du vissla Johanna? (Can You Whistle Johanna?) Not: titeln är inte översatt på vare sig engelska wikipedia eller IMDB, vilket är varför jag inte översatt den själv, men man kanske vill ha titeln på engelska inom parentes? and the first version of The Miracle on 34th Street (1947). And then there isn’t a lot that can measure up to Fanny and Alexander.”
When should you hear the ring of a warning bell and turn off the TV?
“In many cases it’s wise to avoid Christmas films where the characters have been taken from other contexts and then simply placed in a Christmas version. If anybody happens to believe that the hugely popular Italian Natale-films are worth seeing, they should probably think again. And as an example of a large-scale production that could have been made so much better, one could mention The Polar Express.”
text: Hedvig Areskoug
translation: Matilda Lundborg
