On the same disc with the making-of documentary is "Ingmar Bergman Bids Farewell to Film," a stimulating 59-minute conversation between the director and a film critic that was made for Swedish television in 1984. Here Bergman talks about his working methods and childhood, and I wasn’t surprised to hear him say that at age 12 he bought the collected works of Strindberg in a 55-volume annotated edition.
The second disc of the pair collectively titled "The Making of Fanny & Alexander" contains interviews conducted for Swedish television in 2003 and offers a chance to see Bergman looking robust at age 85. The interviews, averaging about four minutes in length, were apparently used as introductions to TV showings of 11 Bergman movies from "Summer With Monika" (1952) to "Autumn Sonata" (1978). I think watching this feature is a fairly good way to begin to appreciate the breadth of Bergman’s body of film work.
Below I have listed all the special features of the Criterion Collection Five-Disc Special Edition "Fanny & Alexander" DVD set.
DVD Details:
Five-Disc DVD Set Released November 16, 2004
"Fanny & Alexander" – The Television Version (2 Discs):
- Run Time: 5 hr. 12 min.
- Aspect Ratio 1.66:1, Color
- Original Swedish Monaural Soundtrack
- English Subtitles
- "A Bergman Tapestry" Cast & Crew Interviews (39 min.)
"Fanny & Alexander" – The Theatrical Version (1 Disc):
- Run Time: 3 hr. 8 min.
- MPAA Rating: Not Rated
- Aspect Ratio 1.66:1, Color
- Original Swedish Monaural Soundtrack
- English-Dubbed Monaural Soundtrack
- English Subtitles
- Audio Commentary by Film Scholar Peter Cowie
- Theatrical Trailer
"The Making of Fanny & Alexander" (2 Discs):
- "The Making of Fanny & Alexander" (Swedish, 1 hr. 50 min.)
- "Ingmar Bergman Bids Farewell to Film" (Swedish, 59 min.)
- Stills Gallery
- Costume Gallery
- Set Models
- Bergman Video Intros to 11 of His Films (Swedish, 45 min.)
36-Page Booklet Featuring 3 Essays
Return to Beginning of DVD Review
