Compromise: What Binds People Together

Brian Weir

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Section 1D

Final Essay

March 16, 2016

Compromise: What Binds People Together

The idea of a family, at its core, refers to a couple. For most people, the search for happiness is associated with the search for a life companion. However, no matter how compatible two people are, they must make compromises to foster a positive relationship. This clash between idealized purity and compromise is analyzed in Lukas Moodysson’s film Together. The film portrays a contrast between a nuclear family and a utopian collective family that rejects the patriarchy, capitalism, and worldly possessions and aims to create an ideal communal living space for its residents. Although the nuclear family initially views the collective with contempt, they too turn to the sanctuary of communal life in the end. A safe haven for societal outsiders, the commune’s numerous residents decide to make sacrifices to create what they believe to be an ideal utopian collective, but ultimately gain more solace from each other’s mutual company then the abnormal policies of the commune. Although each person is very different, they all enter the communal house with their own problems and find solace in the community. With this collective family, Moodysson addresses the anti-establishment climate of Swedish counterculture and ultimately suggests that compromise for communal life is more beneficial for each individual than ideological purity in solidarity.

The primary theme of the movie is the rejection of societal norms of the time, which is most prevalent through the dismissal of the patriarchal tendencies present in Swedish society. The movie begins with the protagonist, Elizabeth, uprooting her nuclear family to escape from her belligerent, alcoholic husband Rolfe. From this point on, Elizabeth rejects the patriarchal characteristics of the society she lives in. Upon moving into her brother Göran’s communal household, Elizabeth’s rebellious ideas gain support from her brother’s socialist roommates. In her new cooperative living arrangement, Elizabeth shares ideas with self-declared lesbian Anna, who condemns family, government, and business for being excessively patriarchal. The women cite the disproportion of males to females in powerful government positions and business as a sign that women should revolt against men and take back their power and freedom. Elizabeth and Anna both implement this idea in their personal lives by dispersing from their male dominated families. Anna, as a recently self-proclaimed lesbian, rebelliously dismisses male companionship or input. This is, as her former husband says, her way of rebelling against society. Nonetheless, Elizabeth and Anna benefit greatly from the freedom and defiance of the communal house. For both women, the commune provided a space to express their rebellious ideas and gain support from others experiencing similar feelings or issues.

Despite the initial friction, the addition of Elizabeth and her family actually strengthens the utopian collective family. The commune is a collection of social outsiders and liberal extremists so naturally the residents initially reject the idea of welcoming someone, who they believe represents all the norms of society, into their home. Both the residents and Elizabeth experienced the tensions. Elizabeth and her children were discontented with the anti-establishment policies of the household, including bans of television and meat consumption. When Elizabeth and her children advocated for change, some of the more extreme members of the commune felt that the essence of their safe haven was being damaged. For example, when Göran decided to buy a new television for the house, Sigurd and Signe move out and reference other situations where they felt that their ideologies had been compromised. However, these changes ultimately strengthened the community aspect of the commune. The introduction of people who violated the idealized, rebellious structure, exonerated the weaker, more extremist members. These people chose to put their personal ideological purity before community. This fostered an environment of unity, caring for each other, and helping one another out, instead of simply rejecting societal norms for the sake of rebelling.

As an example of a more typical family, Moodysson depicts a neighboring nuclear family that differs greatly from the collective family. As an embodiment of the societal norm for family structure, this family looks down upon the animalistic life style of their commune neighbors. When the son, Fredrick, begins associating with the commune, his mother tries to prevent him, saying that “We don’t think they’re nice”( Moodysson, 40). This air of superiority is due to the societal expectations for family structure. In reality, however, the assumed to be superior nuclear family is much more flawed and less of a unit. The lack of continuity of the family leaves its members lonely and in need of support. When the wife seeks to

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