Costume, nostalgia and sexuality in murder mysteries by Maria Lang and their adaptations

Crime novels by the prolific Swedish writer Maria Lang have been adapted into films during two periods: 1960–61 and 2013. This article situates the resulting films as media products of their time and examines the functions of costume and film style in the two adaptation periods. The article identifies nostalgia in Arne Mattsson’s 1960–61 films in how they contribute towards an old-fashioned film style. The string of films from 2013 engages in nostalgia-as-tourism and positions itself as ‘cosy crime’ by activating viewers partly as consumers and inviting them to a viewing mode of vintage window-shopping. The article locates nostalgic pastness in the assembling or dissembling of layered outfits, exploring this practice in conjunction with murder, vulnerability and culpability. Finally, the article traces attitudes towards sexuality and sexualization, addressing notions of respectability, the sexual liberation of contemporaneous Sweden (the ‘Swedish sin’) and points of contact between good taste, dress style and sexuality.