The idyllic summer trysts eventually give way to societal taboos and the "bitter" consequences of adult choices.
The affair is not romanticized in a soft-focus haze. Widerberg depicts the physical relationship with stark, naturalistic honesty. Stig and Viola meet during school hours, hiding in the school's attic and in Viola’s home while Frank works the night shift. The "fair" of the title refers not only to the beauty of their physical connection but also to the fragile, temporary fairness of their secret arrangement. All Things Fair 1995 Yts
Critics in 1995 were divided. Some hailed it as a brave, unflinching look at male sexual awakening and the psychological complexity of a woman trapped in a loveless marriage. Others felt the power dynamic (teacher/student, adult/minor) was never sufficiently critiqued. The idyllic summer trysts eventually give way to