| A Tribute to Ingmar Bergman | |
| Part 3: The Life and Films of Ingmar Bergman-Including "Persona," "Cries and Whispers," "The Magic Flute," and More! |
"Persona" (1966)
In its initial theatrical release, Bergman's "Persona" bewildered critics and audiences alike. But over the years, we've grown accustomed to the notion that it's not necessary to completely understand something in order to profit from experiencing it, and today "Persona" is regarded as challenging but not impenetrable. The film is about a troubled 25-year-old nurse (Bibi Andersson) who is put in charge of an actress (Liv Ullmann) who has unaccountably stopped speaking. The two women spend some time together at an isolated seaside cottage, where each woman reaches a state of psychological equilibrium.
When I first saw "Persona," I didn't quite know what to make of it. I thought it was a haunting, enigmatic cinepoem, but my mind was unable to grasp it all at once. Every time I watch this film, my mind still reels a little, but that's not surprising. There's a kind of psychological vertigo operating in Persona that complements its theme of slippery, shifting, ambiguous personal identity. And Bergman takes great pains to make the people in his audience sharply conscious of the fact that they are watching a movie. Thus, the film is also about the vampiric voyeurism that is inherently part of cinema and the corresponding loss of self it produces.
In addition to Liv Ullmann and Bibi Andersson, the other Bergman regular appearing in "Persona" is Gunnar Bjornstrand.
"Cries and Whispers" (1972)
During the six years following the release of "Persona," Bergman's new films found little favor with either audiences or critics, culminating in an English-language flop titled "The Touch" that starred Elliott Gould. Thus, it came as a mild surprise when "Cries and Whispers" became an international art-house hit, especially considering the movie's extremely somber tone. "Cries and Whispers" is about the final days of a woman dying of cancer, attended by her two sisters and her maid, and through flashbacks a great deal is revealed about all four women.
Bergman regulars Liv Ullmann, Ingrid Thulin, and Harriet Andersson portray three of the four women.
"The Magic Flute" (1975)
Bergman loved German opera from his youth, and he was delighted to have the opportunity of filming Mozart's "The Magic Flute" for Swedish television. Bergman's version of the opera, which was performed in Swedish, was given a theatrical release as well. Set in mythological times, "The Magic Flute" tells of the quest of a young prince named Tamino to win the beautiful Pamina as his bride. During his quest, Tamino is accompanied by the bird catcher Papageno.
Opera buffs should be advised that Bergman's version takes liberties with the original libretto.
"Fanny and Alexander" (1982)
By the early 1980s Bergman had come to feel that the economic climate in the world of movies had reached the point where it was chilling his creativity, and he announced he would direct only one more film intended for theatrical release. That film turned out to be "Fanny and Alexander," and if-as appears to be the case-it is Bergman's final big-screen movie as a director, what a swan song it is!
Set in a small Swedish city in the early 1900s, the movie tells the story of the Ekdahl family, including the ten-year-old Alexander and his eight-year-old sister Fanny. Things begin happily for the children, but take a bad turn when their father dies and their mother marries a joyless clergyman.
Bergman regulars appearing in "Fanny and Alexander" include Gunnar Bjornstrand and Harriet Andersson.
Of course, there are other interesting Bergman films not on the above list, including "Monika" (1953), "The Virgin Spring" (1960), "Through a Glass Darkly" (1961), "Winter Light" (1963), "The Silence" (1963), "Hour of the Wolf" (1968), "Shame" (1968), "The Passion of Anna" (1969), "Scenes from a Marriage" (1973), and "Autumn Sonata" (1978). Seek out and watch any of these movies on videotape or DVD, and you'll be richly rewarded.
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