Ollie (Åke Fridell) has gambled away all his money on horse racing and, as a result, has drunk himself senseless. His son, taxi driver Paul (Kent-Arne Dahlgren), is left to pick up his father and drag him away from the ditch where he has collapsed. Paul takes Ollie home, where his free-spirited girlfriend Marianne parades around naked. Ollie, in a drunken stupor, picks her up and swings her around several times before Paul puts an end to the madness. Later, Paul and Marianne attend a bizarre party featuring a film screening where Marianne’s younger sister, Beryl, has a small role. At the party, Paul finds a blonde to seduce, which, naturally, infuriates Marianne, who sulks on the sofa. The next morning, however, Paul wakes up in bed with both Marianne and her sister. It soon becomes clear that Beryl has fallen into trouble with drugs, and Paul must step in to save her from disaster.
Wide Open, or Sängkamrater as it was originally titled, is a Swedish sexploitation film from the liberated 1970s. With some generosity, one could classify it as an erotic thriller, though that would be stretching the genre’s boundaries quite a bit. You may have heard of “the Swedish sin,” a term that emerged in the 1950s and lasted until the late 1970s, referring to Sweden’s influx of films featuring nudity and erotic themes at a time when such content was still controversial in many other countries. This controversy was the primary reason the film was banned from Norwegian cinemas—despite being relatively tame by today’s standards. Yes, the film is as sleazy as sin itself, and there’s plenty of nudity, but it doesn’t go beyond that.
A few years earlier, director Gustav Wiklund had made Exponerad (1971), starring the stunning Christina Lindberg. Given the financial success of these kinds of soft-erotic films, Wiklund sought to make another one in the same vein to earn some easy money. However, Lindberg’s career had skyrocketed since their last collaboration, and by then, she was charging 15,000 Swedish kronor per day. As a result, Wiklund could only afford to hire her for two days, meaning he had to make the most of her limited screen time. In the film, she essentially plays herself—a nude model being photographed. While she remains the main draw for most viewers and is arguably the reason Wide Open still gets attention today, she actually has a minor role. The film would undoubtedly have been better with her in the lead.
The plot of Wide Open is a disorganized mess. It starts as an erotic drama centered around a dysfunctional family, introducing various characters who then vanish without explanation. Along the way, we witness an eccentric birthday party, nude photoshoots, and provocative dancing. Midway through, the film abruptly shifts gears, making a fur coat filled with drugs a central plot point before it all culminates in a slapdash, comedic finale. It feels as though the film ran out of budget, forcing a rushed and absurd ending.
The film has its moments, but it must be admitted that these moments mostly involve Christina Lindberg’s stunning presence. As softcore erotica, it is at its best, while the rest of the plot is flimsy at best. Still, its unpredictability makes it somewhat entertaining, as you never know what bizarre twist is coming next. Wide Open isn’t outright terrible, but calling it good would be a massive exaggeration. As erotica, it is tame by today’s standards, and as a thriller, it is too unfocused to be effective.
Upon its release, the film received harsh criticism and was largely forgotten. The original Swedish film reels have since disappeared, meaning only an English-dubbed version remains on the market. However, in the wake of Christina Lindberg’s cult resurgence—largely due to Thriller – A Cruel Picture (1973) and Quentin Tarantino’s homage to her character in Kill Bill (2003)—Wide Open has been resurrected after spending years in cinematic obscurity.
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