''Death is a Caress'' ( no, Døden er et kjærtegn) is a 1949 Norwegian

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

starring

Claus Wiese Claus Wiese (March 1, 1924 – September 7, 1987) was a Norwegian actor and American-based radio broadcaster. Wiese was born in Lillestrøm. He graduated from the Oslo Cathedral School in 1944 and worked as an actor with the Oslo New Theater fr ...

Bjørg Riiser-Larsen Bjørg Riiser-Larsen (September 28, 1916 – August 13, 2000) was a Norwegian actress. Riiser-Larsen appeared in several Norwegian films, and in 2006 the magazine '' Rushprint'' named her the greatest Norwegian film diva of all time. On the ''R ...

and

Ingolf Rogde Ingolf Rogde (14 May 1911 – 4 June 1978) was a Norwegian actor. He was born in Sande, Møre og Romsdal, and was married to actress Siri Rom. He was mainly known for his long-term period with the touring theatre Riksteatret. Rogde made his s ...

. Based on a 1948 novel by

Arve Moen The Arve (french: L'Arve, ) is a river in France (''département'' of Haute-Savoie), and Switzerland (canton of Geneva). A left tributary of the Rhône, it is long, of which 9 km in Switzerland. Its catchment area is , of which 80 km2 ...

, it was

Edith Carlmar Edith Carlmar (born Edith Mary Johanne Mathiesen) (15 November 1911 – 17 May 2003) was a Norwegian actress and Norway's first female film director. She is known for films such as ''Aldri annet enn bråk'' (1954), ''Fjols til fjells'' (1957), an ...

's directorial début, and the first Norwegian film directed by a woman. The film depicts the passionate and tempestuous liaison between mechanic Erik (Wiese) and society woman Sonja (Riiser-Larsen). The film uses cinematic shorthand to convey time and place, while concentrating on its protagonists' increasingly troubled relationship.

References

External links

* * 1949 films 1949 drama films Film noir Films directed by Edith Carlmar Norwegian drama films 1940s Norwegian-language films Norwegian black-and-white films {{Norway-film-stub