The third entry in Roy Andersson’s trilogy is more expansive but remains an unsettling yet frequently hilarious portrait of human existence.
Continuing the style that he created with Songs from the Second Floor and You, The Living, Andersson her draws on history as a way of skewering modern life. Two salesmen attempt to make a living selling props to joke shops. A flamenco dance class is the backdrop to an inappropriate relationship. King Charles XII steps out of the early 18th century in into procession along the streets of present-day Sweden. And a population appear weighed down by the burden of their shared unhappiness. Dour colours dominate once again – there’s a sense that the filmmaker has created his own Pantone-style guide for the colour grey – but are punctuated by the odd primary flourish. But for all this, A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence remains an inspired comedy and like its creator, utterly unique.
