Secrets of Women

Based on a story by Gun Grut, Kvinnors vantan (Secrets of Women or Waiting Women) is the story of a group of sisters-in-law who each tell each other stories about their husbands as they’re all set to return home during a summer holiday. Written for the screen and directed by Ingmar Bergman, the film is a reflective look into a group of women who all talk about their relationships as well as reveal about some of the drawbacks of marriage. Starring Anita Bjork, Eva Dahlbeck, Maj-Britt Nilsson, Birger Malmsten, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Karl-Arne Holmsten, Jarl Kulle, Aino Taube, and Hakan Westergren. Kvinnors vantan is a witty yet engaging film from Ingmar Bergman.

Four sisters-in-law are at their family summer home waiting for their respective husbands to arrive as three of them talk about their marriage in some revealing stories about certain aspects of their lives. It’s a film whose simple premise that is sort of told in a reflective narrative as these women are waiting for their husbands to arrive as they’re with the kids and others as they tell their stories to a young woman who is interested as she also has a lover she’s waiting for. Ingmar Bergman’s screenplay follows a simple structure where three of the five women in the living room tell their respective stories on their marriages.

The first story from Rakel (Anita Bjork) has her recalling an affair with a friend in Kaj (Jarl Kulle) while she is married to Eugen (Karl-Arne Holmsten) as it relates to his reaction about the affair. The second story from Marta (Maj-Britt Nilsson) is about how she met Eugen’s younger brother Martin (Birger Malmsten) that lead to a pregnancy while recalling the time she was about to give birth to their child without him present. The third and final story from Karin (Eva Dahlbeck) is about her marriage Fredrik (Gunnar Bjornstrand) on a night where they get stuck in an elevator that has them revealing so much to each other. It is told to Marta’s younger sister Maj (Gerd Andersson) who is hoping to run away with her lover Henrik (Bjorn Bjelfvenstam).

Bergman’s direction definitely has some elements of style in some of the compositions that he creates yet he maintains that air of intimacy into the direction as it is focused on a group of women telling stories to one another. Shot mainly in parts of Stockholm and Paris as well as the Swedish countryside where the main bulk of the story takes place. There are a few wide shots in some of the locations as well as this lavish scene at the Parisian night club that Marta goes to where she meets Martin that include shots of topless women. Much of Bergman’s direction emphasizes on close-ups and medium shots with the few wide shots used for stylistic reasons as the intimacy play into how characters are shot inside a room or inside an apartment.

There are also these moments where Bergman would have the camera linger on for a few minutes knowing when not to cut as it adds to the conversations and dramatic moments in the film with Karin’s story about being in an elevator with Fredrik being the funniest segment of them all. The rest of the film is dramatic with Rakel being the most serious of the three yet Bergman does keep an air of intrigue into the drama as well as raise questions into why the fourth sister-in-law in Annette (Aino Taube) hasn’t told her story. Overall, Bergman crafts an engrossing yet compelling film about a group of women waiting for their husbands to arrive at the summer home.

Cinematographer Gunnar Fischer does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography with the usage of shadows and light for the scenes inside the elevator, the Parisian nightclub, and in some exterior scenes as it is one of the film’s highlights. Editor Oscar Rosander does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward with a few stylish bits in rhythmic cuts for the humor and drama as well as some stylish superimposed dissolves for a montage scene in Marta’s story. Production designer Nils Svenwall does fantastic work with the look of the Parisian nightclub interiors as well as the look of the homes of the characters including the room where the women talk about their marriages.

Costume designer Barbro Sorman does terrific work with the dresses and clothes that the women wear that each play into their personalities. The sound work of Sven Hansen is superb for its natural approach to the sound as well as some of the raucous atmosphere of the clubs and the sound effects in the elevator. The film’s music by Erik Nordgren is wonderful for its orchestral score that include some woodwind-based pieces as well as some lush strings to play into the drama as well as bombastic music for the Parisian club scene.

The film’s incredible cast feature some notable small roles from Aino Taube as the fourth wife Annette who doesn’t have much to say, Hakan Westergren as Annette’s husband Paul who is eldest brother of the family, Bjorn Bjelfvenstam as Annette and Paul’s son Henrik who is also Maj’s lover, Gerd Andersson as Marta’s younger sister Maj who listens to the stories of her sister and her other sisters-in-law, and Jarl Kulle in a terrific performance as Rakel’s lover Kaj who is also a friend of her husband as he would play into some of the emotional waters of their marriage. Karl-Arne Holmsten is superb as Rakel’s husband Eugen as a man who is fragile as he would have a hard time coping with the flaws of his marriage to Rakel. Birger Malmsten is fantastic as Martin Lobelius as an artist who would meet and fall for Marta only to get her pregnant as he wouldn’t know about the existence of her child as well as cope with his own issues in being part of a revered family.

Gunnar Bjornstrand is excellent as Karin’s husband Fredrik as a man who always like to look at his best as he deals with his own shortcomings and neglect towards Karin once they get trapped in an elevator. Maj-Britt Nilsson is brilliant as Marta as a young woman married to Martin as she deals with how they met and how their relationship took a drastic turn due to their affair and what she had to deal with by herself. Eva Dahlbeck is amazing as Karin as Fredrik’s wife who reveals about secrets she has been keeping from her husband while trying to find ways to relate to him again despite the flaws in their marriage. Finally, there’s Anita Bjork in a radiant performance as Rakel as a woman in an affair with a longtime friend as she deals with its complications as well as the emotional chaos it would bring into her marriage.

Kvinnors vantan is a remarkable film from Ingmar Bergman. Featuring a great cast, a captivating script, gorgeous visuals, and themes of love, marriage, temptation, and desire. It’s a film that follow three stories of relationships told by three sisters-in-law as they wait for their husbands to arrive at the family summer home. In the end, Kvinnors vantan is a marvelous film from Ingmar Bergman.

Ingmar Bergman Films: (Crisis) - (It Rains on Our Love) - (A Ship to India) - (Music of Darkness) - (Port of Call) - (Prison) - (Thirst (1949 film)) - (To Joy) - (This Can’t Happen Here) - (Summer Interlude) - Summer with Monika - Sawdust and Tinsel - A Lesson in Love - Dreams (1955 film) - Smiles of a Summer Night - The Seventh Seal - (Mr. Sleeman is Coming) – Wild Strawberries - (The Venetian) - (Brink of Life) - (Rabies) - The Magician (1958 film) - The Virgin Spring - The Devil's Eye - Through a Glass Darkly - Winter Light - The Silence (1963 film) - All These Women - Persona - (Stimulantia-Daniel) – Hour of the Wolf - (Shame (1968 film)) - (The Rite) - The Passion of Anna - (The Touch) – Cries & Whispers - Scenes from a Marriage - (The Magic Flute) - (Face to Face) - (The Serpent’s Egg) – Autumn Sonata - From the Life of the Marionettes - Fanny & Alexander - (After the Rehearsal) - (The Blessed Ones) - (In the Presence of a Clown) - (The Image Makers) – Saraband

© thevoid99 2019

Torment (1944 film)

Directed by Alf Sjoberg and written by Ingmar Bergman, Hets (Torment) is the story of a boarding school student who falls for a local girl while he is being tormented by his sadistic Latin teacher. The film is an exploration of the world of torment in the world of boarding school as the film would also mark the very first film to be written by Bergman in a collaboration with one of the then-premier filmmakers in Sweden. Starring Stig Jarrel, Alf Kjellin, Mai Zetterling, Olof Winnerstand, Gosta Cederlund, Stig Olin, and Gunnar Bjornstrand. Hets is an eerie yet mesmerizing film from Alf Sjoberg.

The film revolves around a boarding school senior who is about to graduate yet still has to pass certain exams including Latin but he is tormented by the mental abuse of this teacher where he would later befriend a local checkout girl at a tobacco store who also dealing with a form of torment of her own. It’s a film that doesn’t just explore the concepts of verbal and mental torment but also two people who are both affected by it in such a way as they’re struggling to live their lives. Ingmar Bergman’s screenplay doesn’t just go into great detail into what Jan-Erik (Alf Kjellin) and Bertha (Mai Zetterling) are dealing with but also in the former as his Latin teacher that is called by students as Caligula (Stig Jarrel) is a man that is really vicious in his methods. Even as students have a hard time trying to learn Latin meet his expectations as even a few of the teachers are becoming aware of Caligula’s actions.

Jan-Erik’s escape in his time with Bertha would bring comfort but Bertha remains troubled as Jan-Erik wonders who is Bertha’s tormentor. Yet, the reveal of the tormentor isn’t a total surprise yet it adds a lot more to the subject matter as well as the tormentor himself who is a sadistic son-of-a-bitch that is a keen manipulator with some very serious issues. Especially in the third act as it relates to his own actions and what he would do to Jan-Erik that would eventually make things much worse for all involved.

Alf Sjoberg’s direction is very straightforward yet it does have some very entrancing compositions from the way he opens the film as well as maintain this tense and discomforting atmosphere in the classroom. While there are some wide shots, much of the film is presented in a more intimate manner with its close-ups and medium shots to play into the tension that looms throughout the film as it relates to Jan-Erik and Bertha. Even in the classrooms as Sjoberg would have his camera place into Caligula trying to get Jan-Erik to say things the right way with students sitting in silence as some are just scared while others want to fight back. The dramatic elements would be intense including a key scene in the third act where Jan-Erik and Caligula are met with the school’s headmaster (Olof Winnerstrand) as it plays into the idea of truth and gain. Yet, it is followed by an ending which is directed by Bergman, who was the film’s assistant director, as it relates to everything that had happened but also in what Jan-Erik would have to do with his life. Overall, Sjoberg and Bergman would create a fascinating yet dark film about the concept of torment.

Cinematographer Martin Bodin does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography for the way some of the nighttime interior/exterior scenes are lit with its shadows along with more naturalistic shots for the daytime exterior scenes. Editor Oscar Rosander does nice work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a few stylish moments that play into the intensity of the drama. Production designer Arne Akermark does fantastic work with not just the look of the classrooms but also the homes of Jan-Erik and Bertha to play into their different backgrounds.

Costume designer Mimmi Tornqvist-Zedell does terrific work with the costumes from the clothes that Jan-Erik wears to go to school to the dresses and robes of Bertha. The sound work of Gaston Cornelius is superb for the atmosphere of the classrooms where it could raucous or at times uncomfortably quiet along with some moments heard outside of the classroom. The film’s music by Hilding Rosenberg is wonderful for its orchestral-based score that played into the drama with its string arrangements.

The film’s cast feature some notable small roles from Gunnar Bjornstrand as a teacher, Hugo Bjorne as a doctor who would treat Jan-Erik in the film’s second half, Olav Riego and Marta Arbin as Jan-Erik’s parents who become concerned over his behavior, Jan Molander as a nerdy yet tortured student in Petterson, Gosta Cederlund as an elderly yet kind teacher in Pippi who is concerned about Caligula’s behavior towards the students, and Stig Olin as Jan-Erik’s friend Sandman who is very suspicious about Caligula as he really despises the man. Olof Winnerstrand is superb as the school’s headmaster as this unlikely sympathetic figure who tries to understand what is happening where he only appears late in the film but manages to exude so much into his brief appearance.

Mai Zetterling is fantastic as Bertha as a young woman who works as tobacco store clerk who is tormented constantly by a man on her way home where she befriends Jan-Erik as she becomes his lover in the hopes that she can escape from her tormentor. Alf Kjellin is excellent as Jan-Erik as a young student who deals with the constant mental abuse he receives from his Latin teacher as he struggles to pass his exams and graduate where he finds solace in this equally-tormented young woman. Finally, there’s Stig Jarrel in an amazing performance as the Latin teacher called Caligula as this man who is very mean towards Jan-Erik as well as be someone who might really be ill in some ways as it’s a very terrifying performance to watch.

Hets is a remarkable film from Alf Sjoberg that features a great cast as well as an incredible script by Ingmar Bergman. The film isn’t just a fascinating look into the concept of torment but also in what it can do to people who are extremely vulnerable. In the end, Hets is a marvelous film from Alf Sjoberg.

Alf Sjoberg Films: (Den starkaste) - (They Staked Their Lives) - (Den blomstertid) - (Hem fran Babylon) - (The Heavenly Play) - (Kungajakt) - (Resan bort) - (Iris and the Lieutenant) - (Only a Mother) - (Barabbas (1953 film)) - (Only a Mother) - Miss Julie - (Karin Mansdotter) - (Wild Birds) - (Last Pair Out) - (The Judge (1960 film)) - (On (1966 film)) - (The Father (1969 film))

© thevoid99 2016

The Devil's Eye

Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, Djavulens oga (The Devil’s Eye) is the story of Don Juan who is sent back to Earth by Satan in an attempt to seduce and take away the virginity of a vicar’s beautiful daughter. The film is a comedic story that relates to Satan wanting retribution over the beauty of this young woman by sending the greatest seducer of all-time to win her over. Starring Jarl Kulle, Bibi Andersson, Gunnar Bjornstrand, and Stig Jarrel. Djavulens oga is a witty yet mesmerizing film from Ingmar Bergman.

The film revolves around a revenge scheme made by Satan (Stig Jarrell) who asks Don Juan (Jarl Kulle) to seduce a beautiful daughter of a vicar and take away her virginity whose chastity has given him a stye in his eye. Don Juan agrees to do the task with the aid of a servant where he will be given 300 years off from his punishment but upon meeting the beautiful Britt-Marie (Bibi Andersson). The task becomes difficult as he realizes while things become more questionable where there’s a subplot of his aide in Pablo (Sture Lagerwall) who tries to seduce the vicar’s wife. It all plays into forces trying to create chaos and disrupt the ideas of faith as it is largely told in a humorous manner with commentaries by an actor (Gunnar Bjornstrand) who appears in between the acts. The film’s script by Ingmar Bergman isn’t just this growing fascination with faith but also temptation as it’s set in a modern world where ideas of faith are being questioned.

Bergman’s direction is stylish in some aspects of the film in the way not only presents Hell but also the fact that he takes a break from the story so that Bjornstrand can provide comments in a room while a frame of the film is actually playing in the background. The presentation of Hell itself is quite offbeat as Satan surrounds himself with guards from the late 18th Century while Don Juan is dressed up like a man in his time as it play into a sort of disconnect with the modern world. When Don Juan and Pablo arrive on Earth, they’re dressed in modern clothing as it is set in a Swedish countryside where Bergman does take stock in using a lot of wide and medium shots for the landscapes. The shots are also used in some of the key dramatic moments where the vicar’s wife Renate (Gertrud Fridh) is seen far in the foreground from her room and then walks to a door for a medium shot as it play into that sense of temptation.

Bergman’s usage of close-ups do say a lot to what Don Juan endures as it displays not just a sense of revelation for himself but also a world that has changed and how love is actually more complicated. Notably as Don Juan sees Britt-Marie’s own relationship to a man named Jonas (Axel Duberg) in one of its troubled moments. While Don Juan is aware of what he has to do, his attempts in tempting Britt-Marie becomes questionable from his own perspective where he copes with not just his own humanity but also faith itself. Even as Bergman would create comments about the fallacy of faith as if it play into the idea that God and Satan are toying with humanity in this scheme that Satan is creating. Overall, Bergman crafts a humorous yet provocative tale of Don Juan’s attempt to seduce a woman only to cause a further crisis of faith around himself and those he encounters.

Cinematographer Gunnar Fischer does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography as it plays into the unsettling look of Hell as well as the wondrous look of the modern world in the scenes set at night with its usage of shadows and shades. Editor Oscar Rosander does nice work with the editing as it is straightforward with some stylish jump-cuts that emerge for a key character who watches over Don Juan. Production designer P.A. Lundgren does fantastic work with the look of Hell as well as the room of the actor that are in sharp contrast to the quaint home of the vicar.

Costume designer Mago does nice work with the costumes from 18th Century look of Satan‘s guards and the stylish clothes of Don Juan in Hell to the more casual, modern look of Britt-Marie. The sound work of Staffan Dalin and Stig Flodin is terrific for the way thunderstorms sound for scenes in the second act as well as some eerie moments set in Hell. The film’s music by Erik Nordgren does wonderful work with the music as it’s a mixture of low-key orchestral as well as lots of harpsichord-based music to play into the period of where Don Juan was alive at the time.

The film’s superb cast include some notable small roles from Kristina Adolph as an object of torment for Don Juan in Hell, Allan Edwall as an ear demon, Ragnar Arvedson as a demon that watches over Don Juan and Pablo, Axel Duberg as Britt-Marie’s lover Jonas, Georg Funkquist and Gunnar Sjoberb as Satan’s guards who are dressed as posh 18th Century figures, Sture Lagerwall as Don Juan’s aide Pablo who falls for the vicar’s wife, and Gunnar Bjornstrand in a fantastic performance as the actor who comments and introduces each act in the film. Gertrude Fridh is wonderful as the vicar’s wife Renata as a woman who becomes tempted by Pablo into having an affair while Nils Poppe is excellent as a vicar who would have an encounter with a demon while being tested over his faith.

Stig Jarrell is brilliant as Satan as a figure who is bothered by the stye in his eye as he hopes to exact some revenge on Britt-Marie for what he did to her while being this master of his own domain. Jarl Kulle is amazing as Don Juan as the famed lover who is a master in seducing women only to be challenged by Britt-Marie where he does something that is unexpected of him where he would make questions on himself. Finally, there’s Bibi Andersson in a radiant performance as Britt-Marie as a vicar’s daughter that is full of life and purity as someone that is preparing for life of her own while being entranced by Don Juan’s presence as well as some issues involving her own love life that play into the growing sense of cynicism and questions of faith.

Djavulens oga is a marvelous film from Ingmar Bergman. Featuring a great cast, a unique premise, and thought-provoking themes on faith and temptation. The film is a unique and humorous take on these ideas while being presented in a very unconventional fashion. In the end, Djavulens oga is a brilliant film from Ingmar Bergman.

Ingmar Bergman Films: (Crisis) - (It Rains on Our Love) - (A Ship to India) - (Music of Darkness) - (Port of Call) - (Prison) - (Thirst (1949 film)) - (To Joy) - (This Can’t Happen Here) - (Summer Interlude) - Secrets of Women - Summer with Monika - Sawdust and Tinsel - A Lesson in Love - Dreams - Smiles of a Summer Night - The Seventh Seal - (Mr. Sleeman is Coming) - Wild Strawberries - (The Venetian) - (Brink of Life) - (Rabies) - The Magician - The Virgin Spring - Through a Glass Darkly - Winter Light - The Silence - All These Women - Persona - (Simulantia-Daniel) - Hour of the Wolf - (Shame (1968 film)) - (The Rite) - The Passion of Anna - (The Touch) - Cries & Whispers - Scenes from a Marriage - (The Magic Flute) - (Face to Face) - (The Serpent’s Egg) - Autumn Sonata - From the Life of the Marionettes - Fanny & Alexander - (After the Rehearsal) - (Karin’s Face) - (The Blessed Ones) - (In the Presence of a Clown) - (The Image Makers) - Saraband

© thevoid99 2016

A Lesson in Love

Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, En lektion i Karlek (A Lesson in Love) is the story of about a gynecologist’s marriage that falls apart after having an affair with a patient where the two meet on a train looking back on their marriage and see if there‘s a chance of reconciliation. The film is a comedy of sorts that explores the world of marriage and some of its pratfalls where a man and wife not only grow apart but also ponder if there is a future for them. Starring Eva Dahlbeck, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Yvonne Lombard, Harriet Andersson, and Ake Gronberg. En lektion i Karlek is a witty yet compelling film from Ingmar Bergman.

Set largely on a train ride from Stockholm to Copenhagen, the film revolves around a married couple whose marriage is on the rocks following a gynecologist’s affair with a patient where they suddenly find themselves riding on the same train and sharing the same compartment. There, the two pretend at first not to know each other in front of another passenger but then deal with everything that had gone wrong as well as looking back into what made them fall in love in the first place. It’s a film with an interesting premise told in a back-and-forth narrative from past and present by Ingmar Bergman. The script doesn’t just play into the marriage of the gynecologist David Erneman (Gunnar Bjornstrand) and wife Marianne (Eva Dahlbeck) but also into the events during their separation and the fact that they were friends when Marianne was supposed to marry a friend in Adam-Carl (Ake Groneberg) whom Marianne was going to meet in Copenhagen to David’s own annoyance.

Bergman’s direction does have elements of style in terms of what he is doing to tell the story in its approach to humor. Yet, it is mostly straightforward in terms of the compositions he creates in its usage of close-ups and medium shots for that sense of intimacy in the train. While there are a few wide shots in a few flashback scenes set in the Swedish countryside and port cities as well as a climatic scene at a dancehall. Bergman’s approach to the humor is quite playful as well as displaying a sense of charm in a scene where David makes a bet with a passenger that he could kiss Marianne before the next stop. The scenes outside of the train also display a sense of risqué sexuality as it adds to the sense of temptation that looms over David but also the sense of jealousy of Marianne while the flashback sequence on the moment David and Marianne fell in love is another moment that is quite intense. All of which plays into this climax at a dancehall in Copenhagen as it relates to the idea that maybe David and Marianne aren’t finished as a couple. Overall, Bergman creates a riveting yet entertaining film about a couple pondering if there’s still some life in them left.

Cinematographer Martin Bodin does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography from the look of the interiors inside the train compartment as well as some of the naturalistic look of some of the exteriors near the sea and countryside that display the beauty of the family life that David and Marianne has. Editor Oscar Rosander does nice work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a few fade-outs to help structuralize the film as well as some rhythmic cuts for the film‘s humorous moments. Production designer P.A. Lundgren does fantastic work with the look of the train compartment, David’s office, and the dancehall in Copenhagen. The sound work of Sven Hansen is terrific for its sound as it captures the sound of the train that is heard from the inside as well as the raucous moment at the dancehall. The film’s music by Dag Wiren is wonderful for its orchestral-based score that ranges from being playful in some scenes as well as some somber moments while the rest of the music range from folk to the music that people dance to in those times.

The film’s amazing cast features some notable small roles from Sigge Furst as a vicar during a wedding dinner for Adam-Carl and Marianne in a flashback scene, Dagmar Ebbesen as David’s nurse in his gynecologist office, Birgitte Reimer as an acquaintance of Adam-Carl who flirts with David, Renee Bjorling and Olof Winnerstrand as elderly relatives of David in a flashback, and John Elfstrom as David’s friend Sam who is also seen in the flashbacks as a friend of the family. Yvonne Lombard is wonderful as David’s young mistress Susanne as this young woman who would charm and seduce him as she later ponders if David will ever get serious with her. Harriet Andersson is fantastic as David and Marianne’s tomboy daughter Nix as this young woman coping with her sexuality and identity while feeling like she doesn’t belong anywhere in the world.

Ake Gronberg is excellent as Carl-Adam as this boorish and lively man who was a former flame of Marianne as well as an old friend of David until he comes back to Marianne during the split where David realizes that he hasn’t changed very much. Gunnar Bjornstrand is brilliant as David Erneman as this gynecologist who copes with the drawbacks of his affair with Susanne while thinking his marriage is over until he meets Marianne on the train as it’s a performance with some humor and restrained drama. Finally, there’s Eva Dahlbeck in a radiant performance as Marianne Erneman as a woman who is hurt by her husband’s affair where she boards a train to meet her old lover Carl-Adam where she brings a lot of energy to her performance including in a key flashback scene where she reveals why she is in love with David and not Carl-Adam.

En lektion i Karlek is a marvelous film from Ingmar Bergman. Featuring a great cast and a captivating premise that is told with such humor and heart, it’s a film that explores the many ideas of marriage while being very risqué in the idea of infidelity. In the end, En lektion i Karlek is an incredible film from Ingmar Bergman.

Ingmar Bergman Films: (Crisis) - (It Rains on Our Love) - (A Ship to India) - (Music of Darkness) - (Port of Call) - (Prison) - (Thirst (1949 film)) - (To Joy) - (This Can’t Happen Here) - (Summer Interlude) - Secrets of Women - Summer with Monika - Sawdust and Tinsel - Dreams - Smiles of a Summer Night - The Seventh Seal - (Mr. Sleeman is Coming) - Wild Strawberries - (The Venetian) - (Brink of Life) - (Rabies) - The Magician - The Virgin Spring - The Devil’s Eye - Through a Glass Darkly - Winter Light - The Silence - All These Women - Persona - (Simulantia-Daniel) - Hour of the Wolf - (Shame (1968 film)) - (The Rite) - The Passion of Anna - (The Touch) - Cries & Whispers - Scenes from a Marriage - (The Magic Flute) - (Face to Face) - (The Serpent’s Egg) - Autumn Sonata - From the Life of the Marionettes - Fanny & Alexander - (After the Rehearsal) - (Karin’s Face) - (The Blessed Ones) - (In the Presence of a Clown) - (The Image Makers) - Saraband

© thevoid99 2016

The Magician (1958 film)

Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, Ansiktet (The Magician) is the story of a traveling magician who arrives into a small town where he and his troupe are asked to perform a sample of their tricks to disprove suspicions of the supernatural. The film is an exploration into a man who wants to perform magic as he copes with those who believe that he’s up to no good. Starring Max von Sydow, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Naima Wifstrand, Bengt Ekerot, Bibi Andersson, and Erland Josephson. Ansiktet is a whimsical and mesmerizing film from Ingmar Bergman.

Set in the mid-19th Century in Sweden, the film revolves a traveling magician and his troupe who arrive in a small town where they have to contend with a group of town officials who want to prove that their so-called magic is nothing but a ruse. It’s a film that plays into the idea of what is real against what is fantasy as it is told in the span of an entire day where this magician has to prove to these men of science and facts to see that he is not a fraud as he is given a night to prepare for what he does. It’s a film with a simple plot where it is about the people living in this lavish townhouse in the middle of this small town as this magician named Albert Vogler (Max von Sydow) observes a lot of what is around him as he remains silent despite the attempts of intellectual doctors who think he’s faking it.

Much of the film’s two acts revolves around the preparation of the act as a preview while members of the troupe socialize with maids and cooks along with the people in the house. Its third act isn’t just about the performance but also the aftermath where it plays into this reality vs. fantasy idea and how science sometimes can’t prove what is real. Ingmar Bergman’s script also plays into the characters and the roles they play as Vogler is a very ambiguous character whose assistant Mr. Aman (Ingrid Thulin) is really a woman in disguise while those who want to discredit them include the house’s host Consul Egerman (Erland Josephson) and Dr. Vergarus (Gunnar Bjornstrand). All of which are playing into this game of who can outwit who.

Bergman’s direction is quite simple in terms of his compositions yet manages to find ways to inject elements of humor, drama, and horror into an entire film. Notably as he maintains something intimate for scenes set at the carriage or inside the house where there is a lot of things that are going on. Even as some of the comical moments involve one of the troupe members in Tubal (Ake Fridell) who spends his time flirting with women or somber moment where Egerman’s wife (Gertrud Fridh) is trying to seduce Vogler. Bergman’s usage of medium shots do play into Vogler’s stage performance as well as the approach to comedy and intrigue while horror would come later in the film to play into the idea of fantasy vs. reality. Overall, Bergman crafts a very delightful and mesmerizing film about a magician going into a battle of wits against a group of intellectual scientist and town leaders. 

Cinematographer Gunnar Fischer does amazing work with the film‘s black-and-white photography from his usage of shades and shadows for scenes at night including some rich interior shots with its usage of natural light as it is among one of the film‘s highlights. Editor Oscar Rosander does excellent work with the editing as it is very straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the film‘s suspenseful moments along with its comedic moments. Production designer P.A. Lundgren does fantastic work with the look of the carriage as well as the rooms in the house where many of the characters converge to.

Costume designers Greta Johansson and Manne Lindholm do brilliant work with the costumes that play into the period of the 1840s from the clothes the men wear to the dresses of the women. The sound work of Ake Hansson and Aaby Wedin is superb for the sound effects that are created for some of the film‘s eerie and suspenseful moments as it plays into what Vogler is able to do as a magician. The film’s music by Erik Nordgren is wonderful for its array of music scores from whimsical numbers to more somber, string-based pieces to play into the drama as it is among one of the highlights of the film.

The film’s phenomenal cast include some notable small roles from Axel Duberg and Oscar Ljung as a couple of servants where the latter would contribute to a trick, Ulla Sjoblom as a police superintendent’s wife who succumbs to a magic trick, Toivo Pawlo as the police superintendent, Sif Ruud as the house cook Sofia, Bengt Ekerot as a drunken actor named Johan Spegel Vogler would pick up early in the film, Naima Wifstrand as Vogler’s very brash and outspoken grandmother, Lars Ekborg as the troupe’s stagecoach driver, Ake Fridell as the troupe’s charismatic spokesman, and Bibi Andersson as a young maid named Sara who would fall for the stagecoach driver. Gertrud Fridh is fantastic as a consul’s wife who goes to Vogler as she is still reeling from the loss of her child while Erland Josephson is excellent as Consul Egerman who wants to discredit and disprove Vogler’s tricks.

Gunnar Bjornstrand is amazing as Dr. Vergerus as a minister of health official who wants to see if he can discredit Vogler while he attempts to seduce Mr. Aman knowing that Aman is a woman. Ingrid Thulin is brilliant as Mr. Aman as a woman posing as Vogler’s assistant in order to maintain a role that she doesn’t want to reveal while being Vogler’s conscious of sorts. Finally, there’s Max von Sydow in a remarkable performance as Albert Emanuel Vogler where it’s a very restrained performance von Sydow doesn’t say a word for most of the film as he presents someone that seems tormented and overwhelmed in what he needs to prove to these men who are skeptical of his work.

Ansiktet is a sensational film from Ingmar Bergman that features an incredible performance from Max von Sydow. While it is a film that mixes all sorts of genres as well as play into Bergman’s own views on skepticism vs. faith in the form of entertainment. It is also a film that has Bergman pay tribute of sorts to the world of magic and what it could be for those that just want a bit of escape. In the end, Ansiktet is an extraordinary film from Ingmar Bergman.

Ingmar Bergman Films: (Crisis) - (It Rains on Our Love) - (A Ship to India) - (Music of Darkness) - (Port of Call) - (Prison) - (Thirst (1949 film)) - (To Joy) - (This Can’t Happen Here) - (Summer Interlude) - Secrets of Women - Summer with Monika - Sawdust and Tinsel - A Lesson in Love - Dreams - Smiles of a Summer Night - The Seventh Seal - (Mr. Sleeman is Coming) - Wild Strawberries - (The Venetian) - (Brink of Life) - (Rabies) - The Virgin Spring - The Devil’s Eye - Through a Glass Darkly - Winter Light - The Silence - All These Women - Persona - (Simulantia-Daniel) - Hour of the Wolf - (Shame (1968 film)) - (The Rite) - The Passion of Anna - (The Touch) - Cries & Whispers - Scenes from a Marriage - (The Magic Flute) - (Face to Face) - (The Serpent’s Egg) - Autumn Sonata - From the Life of the Marionettes - Fanny & Alexander - (After the Rehearsal) - (Karin’s Face) - (The Blessed Ones) - (In the Presence of a Clown) - (The Image Makers) - Saraband

© thevoid99 2015

Dreams (1955 film)

Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, Kvinnodrom (Dreams) is the story of a model agency owner and a young model who go to a city for an assignment as the two embark on different journeys to find themselves. The film plays into the world of two different women who both endure elements of heartbreak as they both wonder if they can find anything that can help them. Starring Harriet Andersson, Eva Dahlbeck, and Gunnar Bjornstrand. Kvinnodrom is a compelling yet rapturous film from Ingmar Bergman.

The film revolves two different women who travel to a small town in Sweden for a modeling assignment as they both cope with heartbreak during the trip. One of which is the head of a modeling agency in Susanne (Eva Dahlbeck) and the other is a young model named Doris (Harriet Andersson) as they travel from Stockholm to Gothenburg as they each embark on different journeys. For Susanne, she copes with an affair with a married man in Henrik (Ulf Palme) that isn’t going anywhere while Doris had just broken up with her boyfriend as she meets an aging consul named Otto (Gunnar Bjornstrand) as she spends the day with him where he buys her lavish gifts. Ingmar Bergman’s screenplay not only reveals the anguish of heartbreak for these two women but also into what they want for themselves.

All of which is largely told in the span of an entire day in Gothenburg, with the exception of the film’s beginning and end, that plays into these disparate desires that these two women want. Doris is a young woman that broke up with her boyfriend all because he doesn’t want her to go to Gothenburg as her encounter with Otto starts off fine until she notices why Otto is intrigued by her as it also relates to his own family drama. For Susanne, she would spend part of the day watching Henrik’s home from afar wondering if she could have that life of a family. Bergman’s approach to structure is very unique where much of the second act plays into Doris’ time with Otto and the third is about Susanne’s meeting with Henrik where the relationship is going as it would play into not just what Susanne wants but also what Doris wants for herself after her encounter with Otto.

Bergman’s direction is very entrancing for the way he tells the story as it is shot largely on location in Gothenburg in a full-frame aspect ratio. The direction has Bergman use a few wide shots to play into the compositions while creating something that does feel very lively for the scenes involving Doris and Otto. Most notably in how he shoots from her point of view where she is riding roller coasters and other rides that Otto takes her too. The direction also has some interesting compositions in the way it plays into the drama while also creating moments that are provocative as it relates to Susanne and her eventual meeting with Henrik. Bergman would maintain an air of suspense but also some moments of anguish as it plays to both Susanne and Doris coping with failed love and what they want. Even as it relates to the idea of fantasy of their desires but also contend with the harsh realities that their surrounded by. Overall, Bergman creates a very mesmerizing and fascinating film about two women dealing with heartbreak.

Cinematographer Hilding Blah does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to capture the vibrant look of the locations along with some intricate lighting for some scenes set at night to play into the drama. Editor Carl-Olov Skeppstedt does amazing work with the editing with its unconventional approach to rhythmic cuts for a few scenes as well as some straightforward yet methodical cuts to play into the drama. Production designer Gittan Gustafsson does brilliant work with the look of the hotel rooms that Susanne and Doris live in as well as the main room in Otto‘s home. The sound work of Olle Jacobsson is fantastic for capturing some of the intense dramatic moments including a scene where Susanne screams outside on a train though it’s only the sounds of the train that is heard along with some of the jazz music that is played on the film.

Finally, there’s the film’s superb cast as it includes notable small performances from Sven Lindberg as Doris’ boyfriend, Benkt-Ake Benktsson as a model gallery associate in the film’s opening and closing scenes, Inga Landgre as Henrik’s wife, and Kerstin Hedeby as Otto’s daughter whose visit is an eerie one as she would insult Doris greatly. Ulf Palme is excellent as Henrik as Susanne’s married lover who is unsure if he wants to continue the affair in order to be with his family yet is in love with Susanne. Gunnar Bjornstrand is fantastic as Otto as an old consul who falls for Doris as he lavishes her with gifts and takes her to his home only to be struck by reality from the appearance of his daughter.

Eva Dahlbeck is brilliant as Susanne as a modeling agency head who is in charge of an assignment as she copes with the turmoil over her relationship with Henrik as she wonders if they do have a future. Harriet Andersson is amazing as Doris as a young model dealing with a break-up as she is charmed and wooed by an aging consul only to realize how cruel the world is upon meeting his daughter.

Kvinnodrom is a remarkable film from Ingmar Bergman that features great performances from Eva Dahlbeck and Harriet Andersson. While it is one of his early triumphs and certainly a compelling exploration into heartbreak. It is also a film that manages to play into the way women are forced to look for love prompting them to find their own identities. In the end, Kvinnodrom is an exhilarating film from Ingmar Bergman.

Ingmar Bergman Films: (Crisis) - (It Rains on Our Love) - (A Ship to India) - (Music of Darkness) - (Port of Call) - (Prison) - (Thirst (1949 film)) - (To Joy) - (This Can’t Happen Here) - (Summer Interlude) - Secrets of Women - Summer with Monika - Sawdust and Tinsel - A Lesson in Love - Smiles of a Summer Night - The Seventh Seal - (Mr. Sleeman is Coming) - Wild Strawberries - (The Venetian) - (Brink of Life) - (Rabies) - The Magician - The Virgin Spring - The Devil’s Eye - Through a Glass Darkly - Winter Light - The Silence - All These Women - Persona - (Simulantia-Daniel) - Hour of the Wolf - (Shame (1968 film)) - (The Rite) - The Passion of Anna - (The Touch) - Cries & Whispers - Scenes from a Marriage - (The Magic Flute) - (Face to Face) - (The Serpent’s Egg) - Autumn Sonata - From the Life of the Marionettes - Fanny & Alexander - (After the Rehearsal) - (Karin’s Face) - (The Blessed Ones) - (In the Presence of a Clown) - (The Image Makers) - Saraband

© thevoid99 2015

Through a Glass Darkly

Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, Sasom i en spegel (Through a Glass Darkly) is the story of a woman who deals with her own mental illness and crisis of faith during a holiday in a remote island as she also deals with issues of the men in her life. The film is the first of a trilogy of films that Bergman would make where it would explore faith and the sense of decline in that world. Starring Harriet Andersson, Gunnar Bjornstarnd, Max von Sydow, and Lars Passgard. Sasom i en spegel is a cerebral yet harrowing film from Ingmar Bergman.

The film takes place in the span of 24 hours during a family holiday where an author is finishing up his book while fishing his son-in-law and watching his teenage son put on a play. Yet, their main concern is for the well-being of Karin (Harriet Andersson) who has just been released from a hospital due to her schizophrenia as they hope a vacation would help her. Things however go wrong as Karin’s behavior starts to unravel as she begins to behave erratically where it would affect her father David (Gunnar Bjornstrand), her husband Martin (Max von Sydow), and younger brother Minus (Lars Passgard). Especially as all three men would endure her strange behavior as David and Martin would feel guilty for not helping her enough while Minus would encounter something that would later plague as he’s already gotten himself into a very fragile relationship with his father.

Ingmar Bergman’s screenplay takes it time to play into Karin’s unraveling in the course of 24 hours where the film begins with a family swim and then dinner as things seem to start well. Yet, there is also tension within the family as the author David admits to Martin that he used Karin’s condition as material for his new book which he was finishing up as it plays to his own emotional conflicts. Even as he watches a play that Minus has created which has some references about him that makes David more uneasy. The film would then progress slowly into Karin’s own story as it would be this exploration of a woman trying to find some sense of hope in her own illness. In her journey in this remote island, she would claim to have these encounters with a mysterious being thinking it’s God where Minus would endure her strange behavior while David and Martin are out fishing.

The presence of faith would definitely play a key role into the film’s third act where the four characters all question about the idea of God and whether he exists. Particularly in the end where it plays into the idea about God itself and how would he exist as it leads to some very intense moments. Especially for Karin as she has been the one asking for his existence as this moment would play into what might happen to her.

Bergman’s direction is very succinct in the way he explores an entire day in the life of a family where the sole woman in the family begins to fall apart as the day goes by. Much of it would involve wide shots of the island of Faro as it would be a character of the film in some respects. An island where it’s just the four of them in a summer home where it’s peaceful and quiet but the growing sense of tension and uncertainty in Karin’s behavior makes the whole holiday anything but peaceful and quiet. While Bergman uses a lot of wide shots for the look of the island, he adds that sense of discomfort and terror that occurs in the film which would intensify the drama. Notably as the close-ups and striking compositions play to the drama and what Karin is going through where there is an unpredictability that occurs in her behavior.

The direction gets more intense in its intimacy once the drama becomes more visceral in its exploration of faith and humanity in Karin who becomes more troubled as the film progresses. Though the question of faith doesn’t really appear throughout the film until its third act, it would cast a shadow into the film as it relates to Karin’s quest to find some sanity in her state of mind as well as some of the things she’s discovered. Even as the questions of faith would eventually lurk into the men where Bergman’s use of close-ups and medium shots would become more engaging and discomforting where the questions of faith become more prevalent for its end. Overall, Bergman creates a very captivating and provocative film about a woman’s descent to madness as she seeks questions about faith and existence.

Cinematographer Sven Nykvist does amazing work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to play into the gorgeous look of the film‘s exteriors while casting some dark moods for some of the film‘s interiors with its use of light and shadows. Editor Ulla Ryghe does excellent work by infusing some style with the use of dissolves and fade-outs to play with the film‘s structure while using some methodical cuts to play into its heightened drama. Art director P.A. Lundgren does fantastic work with the look of the house that the family lives in as well as the wrecked ship that Karin and Minus would encounter.

The costumes of Mago are terrific as it aimed for a more casual look to play into the personalities of the four characters in the film The sound work of Stig Flodin is brilliant for the sound effects created that would play into Karin‘s state of mind as well as some of the atmosphere that occurs in the island. The film’s music features a cello suite by Johann Sebastian Bach that only appears in a few moments of the film as it is effective for the sense of melancholia that is present throughout the film.

The film’s incredible cast only features four actors with Lars Passgard in a superb performance as Minus as a young man eager to get some kind of connection with his father while dealing with Karin’s illness as it would have a great effect on him. Max von Sydow is great in an understated performance as Karin’s husband Martin who is the observer of the family as he calls out on David’s sense of detachment but also takes shot at himself for not helping his wife more. Gunnar Bjornstrand is phenomenal as Karin and Minus’ father David who deals with his own failings as a father as he also tries to deal with the existent of God over some of the things he’s encountered and make sense of the terror that is happening in the family. Finally, there’s Harriet Andersson in a remarkable performance as Karin as this mentally-ill woman trying to recover from her illness but her newly heightened sense of hearing and eccentric behavior which plays to her descent to madness as well as asking God for help as it’s a performance that is scary but also entrancing at times.

Sasom i en spegel is a tremendous film from Ingmar Bergman. With its great ensemble cast, Sven Nykvist’s evocative cinematography, and captivating themes on faith and existence. It’s a film that manages to be provocative but also sensitive in its portrayal of mental illness and people’s desire for some kind of faith and hope in a world that is ever changing. In the end, Sasom i en spegel is a magnificent film from Ingmar Bergman.

Ingmar Bergman Films: (Crisis) - (It Rains on Our Love) - (A Ship to India) - (Music of Darkness) - (Port of Call) - (Prison) - (Thirst (1949 film)) - (To Joy) - (This Can’t Happen Here) - (Summer Interlude) - Secrets of Women - Summer with Monika - Sawdust & Tinsel - A Lesson in Love - Dreams (1955 film) - Smiles of a Summer Night - The Seventh Seal - (Mr. Sleeman is Coming) - Wild Strawberries - (The Venetian) - (Brink of Life) - (Rabies) - The Magician - The Virgin Spring - The Devil’s Eye - Winter Light - The Silence - All These Women - Persona - (Simulantia-Daniel) - Hour of the Wolf - (Shame (1968 film)) - (The Rite) - The Passion of Anna - (The Touch) - Cries & Whispers - Scenes from a Marriage - (The Magic Flute) - (Face to Face) - (The Serpent’s Egg) - Autumn Sonata - From the Life of the Marionettes - Fanny & Alexander - (After the Rehearsal) - (Karin’s Face) - (The Blessed Ones) - (In the Presence of a Clown) - (The Image Makers) - Saraband

© thevoid99 2014

Winter Light

Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, Nattvardsgasterna (Winter Light) is the story of a small town pastor who deals with a crisis of faith as he is convinced that he’s failing those in his small town as his congregation grows smaller. The film is the second part of a trilogy based on the theme of faith where Bergman explores the loss of faith. Starring Gunnar Bjornstrand, Max von Sydow, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnel Lindblom, and Allan Edwall. Nattvardsgasterna is a chilling yet rapturous film from Ingmar Bergman.

What happens to small town pastor who notices the small number of people attending churches as there are a few who are troubled as the pastor is unable to help them? That is essentially the premise of the film as it is told in the span of an entire day in the life of Tomas Ericsson (Gunnar Bjornstrand) who starts to question his doubt as a suicidal fisherman named Jonas Persson (Max von Sydow) and a loving woman named Marta (Ingrid Thulin) all come to him for help. Yet, Ericsson has no idea how to help them as Marta tries to help with his doubts only to create more trouble as the film goes on. Even as Ericsson also notices the growing decline of people coming to the church as he believes that he’s failing everyone including God.

Ingmar Bergman’s script has a unique structure as much of the first half is spent inside the church that Ericsson lives and serves at where the film begins and ends with a church service. Yet, both scenes would play into Ericsson’s growing sense of doubt as well as the feeling of decline about faith and religion in a world that is changing and filled with hopelessness. In the beginning of the film, there’s only 11 people in the church including Ericsson, Jonas Persson and his wife Karin (Gunnel Lindblom), Marta, the organist, and other locals. Only five would go come in to eat the body of Christ and drink his blood as it plays into Ericsson’s growing doubt as he later meets the Perssons and Marta as its first half has Ericsson asking questions to himself and God about this lack of faith as well as his inability to really help those in need. Even as he reads a letter from Marta who expresses her lack of faith and anger towards Ericsson over his neglect though she remains devoted to him.

The second half of the story takes place outside of the church where it would play into Ericsson’s inability to help as well as the sense of him not being needed with the exception of a few people. Even as he has to do a nighttime service at a nearby church as he wonders if anyone is going to show up. It would also play into the complex relationship between himself and Marta where a lot is revealed but also into how Ericsson is still mourning the death of his wife four years earlier. The film’s final moments where it is at a church where Ericsson is to perform a service is about not just the story of the Passion but also its meanings where it would play into the doubt that Ericsson is going through.

Bergman’s direction is very entrancing in the way he plays up a world where faith is prevalent in the film. Notably in the opening service scene where Bergman has the camera right at Ericsson as he performs his service while using slow, tracking medium shots to feature those who are attending including a wide shot of the church to see who is there and how it feels sort of empty there. Bergman would also use close-ups for a few moments including in some intimate shots while he also creates this amazing sequence where Marta reads her letter in scene that sort of breaks down the fourth wall. There’s also an intimacy in some of the conversations that Bergman plays out including the way he puts his actors into a frame where Jonas is in front of the camera and Ericsson is in the foreground talking.

Bergman’s direction in the second half where Ericsson steps out of the church has this element of realism that is happening. Notably as it showcases the chaos of the world where Ericsson is aware of the indifference towards the church in the small town. Even as those who turn to him realize how powerless he’s becoming where Bergman uses some wide and medium shots to create something that feels like a world is changing and faith has dwindled. By the time the film returns to another church towards the end, the intimacy becomes far more intense during a scene where the church’s handicapped sexton Algot (Allan Edwall) talks about the story of the Passion. It’s a moment that would finally make a decision for Ericsson about what to do as it also raises question into who will show up for the nighttime service or will there be one? Overall, Bergman creates a very fascinating yet engrossing film about a pastor’s doubt in a world that is changing.

Cinematographer Sven Nykvist does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white photography from the entrancing look of the church interiors in the day as well as the daytime exterior scenes to the more haunting moments in the film‘s final moments where Nykvist uses a lot of shading to play up the chilling atmosphere of the film. Editor Ulla Ryghe does excellent work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward while using some methodical cuts to play out the intensity of the drama. Production designer P.A. Lundgren does amazing work with the look of the churches as well as the schoolhouse that Marta works at. Costume designer Mago does nice work with the clothes as it‘s mostly straightforward including Ericsson‘s uniform. The sound work of Stig Flodin and Brian Wilkstrom is superb for the intimacy that is played out including the scenes at the church as the only music that is played are organ church pieces inside the church.

The film’s cast is fantastic as it features some noteworthy small performances from Elsa Ebbesen as an old widow who is one of the few that attends the services and Olof Thunberg as the church organist who feels melancholic about the indifference the church is getting. Allan Edwall is excellent as the handicapped sexton Algot who is still devoted to the service despite the decline of the congregation while Gunnel Lindblom is wonderful as Jonas’ wife who comes to Ericsson for help about her husband. Max von Sydow is great as the troubled Jonas as a man disturbed by the chaos of the world as he seeks guidance from Ericsson. Ingrid Thulin is brilliant as Marta as a loving woman who tries to help Ericsson despite some anger towards him as she later deals with her doubt as well as Ericsson’s growing resentment towards her. Finally, there’s Gunnar Bjornstrand in a tremendous performance as Tomas Ericsson as a man consumed with doubt and hopelessness as he feels like he’s failing those around him where Bjornstrand puts a lot of weight into a very difficult character who tries to deal with indifference and a world that is changing.

Nattvardsgasterna is a magnificent film from Ingmar Bergman. With a great cast and amazing technical work highlighted by Sven Nykvist’s cinematography, it’s a film that is definitely one of Bergman’s best. Notably as it raises the idea of faith and doubt in a world that is changing as Bergman asks big questions about the idea of faith. In the end, Nattvardsgasterna is a spectacular film from Ingmar Bergman.

Ingmar Bergman Films: (Crisis) - (It Rains on Our Love) - (A Ship to India) - (Music of Darkness) - (Port of Call) - (Prison) - (Thirst (1949 film)) - (To Joy) - (This Can’t Happen Here) - (Summer Interlude) - Secrets of Women - Summer with Monika - Sawdust & Tinsel - A Lesson in Love - Dreams (1955 film) - Smiles of a Summer Night - The Seventh Seal - (Mr. Sleeman is Coming) - Wild Strawberries - (The Venetian) - (Brink of Life) - (Rabies) - The Magician - The Virgin Spring - The Devil’s Eye - Through a Glass Darkly - The Silence - All These Women - Persona - (Simulantia-Daniel) - Hour of the Wolf - (Shame (1968 film)) - (The Rite) - The Passion of Anna - (The Touch) - Cries & Whispers - Scenes from a Marriage - (The Magic Flute) - (Face to Face) - (The Serpent’s Egg) - Autumn Sonata - (From the Life of Marionettes) - Fanny & Alexander - (After the Rehearsal) - (Karin’s Face) - (The Blessed Ones) - (In the Presence of a Clown) - (The Image Makers) - Saraband

© thevoid99 2013

Autumn Sonata

Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, Hostsonaten (Autumn Sonata) is the story of a celebrated classical pianist who gets an unexpected visit from her estranged daughter leading to a confrontation between the two. The film is an exploration into the dynamics of mother and daughter who are driven apart by ambition. Starring Ingrid Bergman, Liv Ullmann, Lena Nyman, and Halvar Bjork. Hostsonaten is a chilling yet intense drama from Ingmar Bergman.

After having not seen each other for seven years, Eva (Liv Ullmann) has asked her famous concert pianist mother Charlotte (Ingrid Bergman) to visit for a few days at her home. Charlotte arrives hoping the visit would be great as she’s greeted by her daughter and son-in-law Viktor (Halvar Bjork) as also there is Charlotte’s youngest daughter Helena (Lena Nyman) who has become physically and mentally disabled due to an illness. The meeting becomes tense due to lingering tension between mother and daughter as both try to be civil until later on at night where the two vent out their frustrations towards one another leading to revelations about their fragile relationship.

The film is about a mother-daughter reunion that eventually turns sour due to resentments as it’s told largely in the span of one day with some flashbacks in the story. Especially when a daughter asks her mother to visit in hopes of a reconciliation yet the lingering tension between the two eventually seeps in as the mother deals with her own regrets and wonder if she’s guilty for everything. Even as the daughter reveals her own hatred for her mother and the fear that she was consumed by for many years. It’s a film that explores the troubled relationship between mother and daughter as the mother is grieving the loss of a friend while the son-in-law tries to deal with the tension as well as caring for an ill sister-in-law who is also plays to the tension between Eva and Charlotte.

The film’s unconventional screenplay allows Ingmar Bergman to create a film that is quite intimate but also intense in the way he frames the actors and have Viktor open the film talking to the camera as if he’s talking to the audience about how he met Eva as she is in the background writing a letter. The way Bergman frames his actors in a scene or how he stages the conversations is among the many highlights of the film. Including the way he uses close-ups to play out the emotions that occur where he waits for something to explode. Even as he would have scenes where characters talk to themselves or flashback scenes to help tell the story.

Shot on location in Norway during Bergman’s tax exile period in Sweden, the film has few exterior shots as a lot of it takes place inside where Bergman allows the camera to be shot from afar or up close to see how the drama will unfold. Notably as it includes a lot of his stylized close-ups that plays up to the quiet tension between mother and daughter that includes a scene where they both play Frederic Chopin’s Prelude No. 2 in A Minor to establish the different emotions of these two women. It’s a key scene that shows who these women are in their personas where both present unique interpretations of Chopin’s piece. Overall, Bergman has crafted a truly mesmerizing drama that explores the troubled dynamics between mother and daughter.

Cinematographer Sven Nykvist does an amazing job with the film‘s photography where many of the interior lighting schemes play to different color palettes to display the look of autumn while using a similar light with dashes of green and gray for its exterior scenes as Nykvist‘s work is a true highlight. Editor Sylvia Ingmarsdotter does excellent work with the editing in using a few dissolves to introduce the flashback scenes while a lot of the cutting is straightforward. Production designer Anna Asp does extraordinary work with the sets for the home that Eva and Viktor live in as it includes a wonderful room to display the personalities of the characters including Eva and Viktor‘s late child Erik.

Costume designer Inger Perhsson does wonderful work with the costumes to display the different personalities of the two women with Eva wearing plain clothes while Charlotte wears more stylish, posh clothing to display her personality. The sound of Owe Svensson is superb for the intimacy created in the film as well as the volume of the conversation that plays out throughout the film.

The film’s cast is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from Linn Ullman as the young Eva, Georg Lokkeberg as Charlotte’s old friend Leonardo, Bergman regulars Gunnar Bjornstrand as Charlotte’s agent Paul and Erland Josephson as Eva’s father Josef in the flashback scene. Lena Nyman is excellent as the physically/mentally-disabled Helena while Halvar Bjork is great as Eva’s husband Viktor who tries to keep his distance from the tension between Eva and Charlotte.

Liv Ullmann is incredible as the troubled Eva who tries to make some reconciliation with her mother only to feel disturbed by her own emotions over the neglect and resentment she’s faced as a child as it’s a truly terrifying role from Ullmann. Finally, there’s Ingrid Bergman in her final film appearance as Charlotte where Bergman displays a wonderful sense of grace but also regret as a woman dealing with her own life as a classical pianist as well as her own failings as a mother where Bergman also displays a realism that is chilling to watch.

Hostsonaten is a marvelous yet haunting film from Ingmar Bergman that features magnificent performances from Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullmann. The film is definitely one of Ingmar Bergman’s most essential films of his career as he gives Ingrid Bergman one of her great performances of her glorious career. It’s also a film that explores the unique mother-daughter dynamic despite the film’s dark tone. In the end, Hostsonaten is an exhilarating film from Ingmar Bergman.

Ingmar Bergman Films: (Crisis) - (It Rains on Our Love) - (A Ship to India) - (Music is Darkness) - (Port of Call) - (Prison) - (Thirst (1949 film)) - (To Joy) - (This Can’t Be Happen Here) - (Summer Interlude) - Secrets of Women - Summer with Monika - Sawdust and Tinsel - A Lesson in Love - Dreams (1955 film) - Smiles of a Summer Night - The Seventh Seal - (Mr. Sleeman is Coming) - Wild Strawberries - (The Venetian) - (Brink of Life) - (Rabies) - The Magician - The Virgin Spring - The Devil’s Eye - Through a Glass Darkly - Winter Light - The Silence - All These Women - Persona - (Stimulantia-Daniel) - Hour of the Wolf - (Shame (1968 film)) - (The Rite) - The Passion of Anna - (The Touch) - Cries & Whispers - Scenes from a Marriage - (The Magic Flute) - (Face to Face) - (The Serpent’s Egg) - (From the Life of Marionettes) - Fanny & Alexander - (After the Rehearsal) - (Karin‘s Face) - (The Blessed Ones) - (In the Presence of a Clown) - (The Image Makers) - Saraband

© thevoid99 2012