Dear John (1964 film)

Dear John is a 1964 Swedish drama film directed by Lars-Magnus Lindgren, based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Olle Länsberg. The film stars Jarl Kulle and Christina Schollin.

The film tells the story of a passionate but ultimately doomed love affair between a working-class sailor, John, and a divorced single mother, Anna, in a small Swedish coastal town. Their initial attraction quickly leads to a brief but intense relationship marked by both tenderness and conflict, exploring themes of class differences, societal expectations, loneliness, and the complexities of love and commitment.

Dear John gained international attention for its frank and explicit depiction of sexuality, which was considered quite daring for its time. The film was controversial in some countries and faced censorship issues. Despite the controversy, it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film's explicit content and its portrayal of a realistic and somewhat bleak romance made it a significant film in the exploration of sexuality and relationships in cinema during the 1960s.