1972
Directed by Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman delivers another exercise in tediousness. Honestly, he creates some moments of beauty but I have devoted way too much time for such little reward.
Two sisters and the maid tend to their third dying sister. Everyone is pretty much terrible, there is the standard search for faith, blah blah blah, typical Bergman film.
Bergman said that he felt as though this film had brought him as far as he could go and touched on wordless secrets that only cinema could discover. Well, at least he is modest. I could certainly see finding this film interesting, but for me it is just too much. Do we have to watch every film in the Bergman canon? And does everyone of them have to be so depressing?
Yell at me in the comments if you must, but I found this film exhausting.
RATING: **---
Interesting Facts:
Bergman stated that the walls were painted red because this film is an exploration of the soul, which he always imagined as red.
I am tired just thinking about watching it, red walls or not.
ReplyDeleteI don't get A LOT out of Bergman either, but I do LOVE Scenes from A Marriage, so I'd suggest that if you're looking for one of his to praise. I also dug Winter Light quite a bit, easily the best one from THE BOOK. His classics, however, I don't much care for - this, Seventh Seal, etc...
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by! Seventh Seal was brutal.
DeleteThis is really just a 'testing testing' reply .. lots of attempts to reply I've made lately have just vanished...or been rejected.
ReplyDeleteI've had a go and seeing if it was my end.. but before I put a lot of effort into typing out something interesting, for it just to vanish.. let's see if this goes and gets to you.
Well, that worked. Good.
ReplyDeleteAh, Mr Bergman, great divider of opinion, you are back with us.
You know I love a bit of good Scandi gloom, but evn I wasn't knocked off by this one as I usually am. I'm with Andrew on this.. 'Scenes from a Marriage', id we want the more modern stuff.. But I generaly prefere the older B&W. Hey, you carn't be seriously misserable in clour.. just not right.
I am sorry, Ray, that you have had trouble replying since I look forward to hearing from you. I will definitely check out Scenes from a Marriage.
ReplyDeleteWell, I seem to back.. I will try and have another go at some that 'vanished'
ReplyDeleteI just watched this the other day. I have been sort of getting into Bergman but he's never going to be my favourite. I have to keep pausing his films because he's shot them so well. I'm stopping it to oooh and aaah about the shot which I suppose might be a little telling about how involved I feel with the characters.
ReplyDeleteI totally get why someone would hate this film but I did find it an interesting watch. Although the scene where she stabs herself was pretty gruesome I didn't see that coming. And the blood smearing turned my stomach.
Although I have to say have to disageee on recommending you Scenes from a marriage Amanda as I think it's just bloody awful. Brutally bleak I would describe it. I know you can say that about them all but hey at least the others look beautiful haha! It nearly put me off him for life, although since you already hate him it might have the opposite effect you never know :D
The problem here is that it is so bloody difficult to understand. It could be enjoyed fir performance and photography, but without understanding it all become quite random. A frequent problem for me I admit, but there you go.
ReplyDelete