LOVE AFFAIR; OR THE CASE OF THE MISSING SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR (1967)

LOVE AFFAIR has the same naturalistic, almost documentary, feel to it that I liked so much in Dusan Makavejev's first film MAN IS NOT A BIRD. At the beginning we're given a short lecture on sex and then introduced to a very cute switchboard operator, she meets a guy on the street, then we see her corpse being pulled out of a well and taken to the morgue where they do an autopsy (off camera). Next we're back with her on her first date with the man.

Makavejev's style is very unconventional, but absolutely genius.  He's all over the place with the story, with pictures and text on the screen, with an almost news footage-style report about rats invading Europe in the 18th century, with a sex expert talking about eggs and giant penis statues and then, most shockingly, the main character suddenly, nearly at the end of the film, turning and directly addressing the audience!  And yet with all of these unusual things going on...it all works!  How the Hell did he do it?!

As much as I liked MAN IS NOT A BIRD I like LOVE AFFAIR; OR THE CASE OF THE MISSING SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR even more.  Makavejev's ability as a filmmaker has grown, the acting is stronger, the editing tighter, the photography is magnificent, the story more engaging and Eva Ras' body just won't stop!  LAOTCOTMSO is definitely not for everybody, but the ones who are willing to give it a chance will be in for a treat.  Recommended.