Dangerous Kisses

In this Danish suspense film, the foibles of the psychological helping professions are wryly surveyed. A woman has murdered her husband. That's clear enough. Now the woman is in a psychiatric hospital because it seemed clear to the judges that she was not fully competent. Her doctor, who is helping her a great deal, has problems of his own. First, he is against the cookie-cutter treatment practices of his hospital, second, he is on shaky mental ground himself. Then he violates his therapeutic ethics by carrying on an affair with the woman he is treating.

Directed by Henrik Stangerup, Dangerous Kisses leans on a strong ensemble — Lotte Tarp, Erik Wedersøe, Jens Østerholm — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1972.