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DVD Review: Exposed (1971)

After stunning most of the European continent with her shapely figure in Dog Days in 1970, Christina Lindberg soon became Sweden’s biggest export (or exports, depending on how you look at that). Why, even America managed to release her next big feature (Maid In Sweden) the same year it premiered in her native country (something that is still unheard of to this day; we tend to let foreign films sit on the shelf before we release them — that, or they take the slow boat over here).

A few years later, Christina would achieve grindhouse immortality in the cult classic Thriller: A Cruel Picture (aka They Call Her One Eye) as a vengeance-seeking mute girl who had been forced into a life of prostitution. But, long before Thriller: A Cruel Picture, sandwiched directly in between Dog Days and Maid In Sweden, there’s another Christina jigglefest entitled Exposed.

Plot? Oh, I’m sure it’s there somewhere… lemme see… Lena (Lindberg) is a young girl who made the regretful decision of posing nude for some slimeball named Helge (Heinz Hopf). Lena’s towhead boyfriend Jan doesn’t approve, but he’s willing to help her try to get the photos back from Helge so that Lena can get on with her life (and her bizarre daydreams). Convincing Helge to give the photos up, however, may be a bigger chore than they had expected, since the creepy S&M party host has some twisted joys on his mind. There’s also a lot of nudity. That’s about it, really.

Anyone looking for the same kind of merciless exploitation we would later see in Thriller: A Cruel Picture or hoping to get a thrill from the raw sensuality featured in Maid In Sweden may be disappointed with Exposed as there really isn’t much going for it other than the oft-nude Lindberg (and a few nude co-stars). The movie’s story is amateurish at best; the director can’t seem to make up his mind as to what’s going on; the acting is pretty casual; and… oh, who am I kidding? It’s a Swedish nudie flick, for Christ’s sake! Ogle the boobies and enjoy, kids!

Exposed receives the full treatment from Synapse Films on DVD in its original uncut glory. The grainy feature is presented in a 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen ratio with the good ol’ Swedish mono soundtrack (in stereo) intact. Since Swedish has still yet to become the official second language of the United States, this release includes some removable, “newly translated” English subtitles (which are also illiterate in some scenes — take for example “The police is searching…” and “As our ours…”).

Christina Lindberg may be pushing 60, but the actress is still working in the industry and looking good as we discover in the featurette “Over-Exposed” (17:10) which features on-camera interviews with both the Swedish sexpot and Exposed’s director Gustav Wiklund. Other special features include a still gallery (2:00), the original Swedish trailer (1:54) which seems to end abruptly and features no voiceover narration or dialogue — just music; the exploitative U.S. release trailer (3:47) under the title The Depraved featuring the famous tagline “Banned in 23 countries… now, you can see it without a single cut!” Two additional (if odd) extras are a couple of music tracks performed by Christina herself (three words, Christina: stick to acting). Both tracks were recorded back in the '70s and the original (nude) record sleeve artwork is displayed while the songs play.

If you’re looking for Swedish masterpieces in the vein of Bergman, then stick to Bergman. If you’re looking for some tender young Swedish flesh, then by all means pick up Exposed.

About Luigi Bastardo

Luigi Bastardo is the alter-ego of a feller who loves an eclectic variety of classic (and sometimes not-so-classic) film and television. He currently lives in Northern California with four cats named Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Margaret. Seriously.

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