Dreams (aka Journey Into Autumn aka Kvinnodröm)
This was a very strangely middle of the road film. I've seen far, far worse before, but it wasn't a great film either. If anything it was just a pleasent way of spending 84 minutes. It was a very mild film. There were two plots concerning Eva Dahlbeck's fashion photographer and her model Harriet Andersson, and both their stories are essentially variations of the same theme.
The two leading actresses are joined by Gunnar Björnstrand, making this another film with Bergman's current favourite trio of actors. That said, I really liked Björnstrand in this movie, but I'm not quite sure why. I think it may be the absolute look of fear on his face while on a rollercoaster.
The only other thing in the movie that stood out for me was how much Eva Dahlbeck's character reminded me of an ex-girlfriend. So I found Dahlbeck's character quite creepy.
A pleasent film.
Rating- 6/10
Top 5-
1) Waiting Women
2) Prison
3) Summer With Monika
4) A Lesson In Love
5) Dreams
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
Monday, 22 June 2009
A Lesson In Love (1954)
A Lesson In Love (aka En lektion i kärlek)
This is one of Bergman's comedic films. Bergman is never exactly a master of comedy, sure there are funny moments in his films, but would I say he makes funny films? No, I wouldn't. While I liked this film and chuckled a couple of times, it certainly wasn't a laugh-out-loud funny movie.
Bergman teams up Gunnar Björnstrand and Eva Dahlbeck as another bickering married couple, and once again infidelity is the major problem. Doctor David (Björnstrand) has an affair with a younger woman to the upset of Marianne (Dahlbeck). On a train journey together David pleads with Marianne not to go through with their divorce, and their marriage is told in non linear flashbacks.
It's very hard to review this movie without the knowledge of the later films of Bergman that I have seen, because in some senses, this movie is like a test run of another that will arrive later. Having seen that later film I expected Björnstrand and Dahlbeck to be a joy to watch, but it was not as engaging as was that, or even Waiting Women. I think the problem lies with the source material- Bergman hasn't got the comedy/serious balance quite sorted yet.
There's one section of the film I really loved- the flashback to David's father's birthday. It was a lovely sequence of family life. It was very warm and charming. It reminded me of the family moments in Leo Tolstoy's book. I always find them quite charming.
Also for a 50's movie, it's surprisingly liberal! It's something an American mainstream film would never dream of daring to do! So hats off for that one, Ingmar.
Rating- 7/10
Top 5-
1) Waiting Women
2) Prison
3) Summer With Monika
4) A Lesson In Love
5) To Joy
This is one of Bergman's comedic films. Bergman is never exactly a master of comedy, sure there are funny moments in his films, but would I say he makes funny films? No, I wouldn't. While I liked this film and chuckled a couple of times, it certainly wasn't a laugh-out-loud funny movie.
Bergman teams up Gunnar Björnstrand and Eva Dahlbeck as another bickering married couple, and once again infidelity is the major problem. Doctor David (Björnstrand) has an affair with a younger woman to the upset of Marianne (Dahlbeck). On a train journey together David pleads with Marianne not to go through with their divorce, and their marriage is told in non linear flashbacks.
It's very hard to review this movie without the knowledge of the later films of Bergman that I have seen, because in some senses, this movie is like a test run of another that will arrive later. Having seen that later film I expected Björnstrand and Dahlbeck to be a joy to watch, but it was not as engaging as was that, or even Waiting Women. I think the problem lies with the source material- Bergman hasn't got the comedy/serious balance quite sorted yet.
There's one section of the film I really loved- the flashback to David's father's birthday. It was a lovely sequence of family life. It was very warm and charming. It reminded me of the family moments in Leo Tolstoy's book. I always find them quite charming.
Also for a 50's movie, it's surprisingly liberal! It's something an American mainstream film would never dream of daring to do! So hats off for that one, Ingmar.
Rating- 7/10
Top 5-
1) Waiting Women
2) Prison
3) Summer With Monika
4) A Lesson In Love
5) To Joy
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Summer With Monika (1953)
Summer With Monika (aka Sommaren Med Monika)
It's been a while since my last review. I think it's because I ODed on Bergman films and needed a break. Well, the break has been taken and I'm back. Summer With Monika is one film I've seen before, and I think I may have enjoyed it a little more on second viewing. I think the first time I watched it I thought it may actually be a happy film (well, it did have 'Summer' in the title), but it isn't quite that.
Like characters from a Bruce Springsteen song, young couple Harry and Monika (Åke Fridell and the great Harriet Andersson) forsake their parents, their jobs and the city and escape into the country on a boat. The plot is spilt into thirds- before they go to the country, when they're in the country and life in the city again. The country section is the longest and probably the best. The directing is more more leisurely and relaxed than in the city. In the city scenes it's almost as if Bergman isn't quite as comfortably with the material.
The film is a clear realist piece, but Bergman breaks this in two shots towards the end of the movie and it makes quite the impact. Without wanting to give too much away (as this one shot is worth watching the film for) Monika turns and looks directly into the camera, and it holds her in close up for a good 20 seconds I should imagine. The context of it combination with the expression on Harriet Andersson's face make it so powerful. It's the best bit of the film.
A good film, good moments and Harriet Andersson is great.
Rating- 6/10
Top 5-
1) Waiting Women
2) Prison
3) Summer With Monika
4) To Joy
5) Music In Darkness
It's been a while since my last review. I think it's because I ODed on Bergman films and needed a break. Well, the break has been taken and I'm back. Summer With Monika is one film I've seen before, and I think I may have enjoyed it a little more on second viewing. I think the first time I watched it I thought it may actually be a happy film (well, it did have 'Summer' in the title), but it isn't quite that.
Like characters from a Bruce Springsteen song, young couple Harry and Monika (Åke Fridell and the great Harriet Andersson) forsake their parents, their jobs and the city and escape into the country on a boat. The plot is spilt into thirds- before they go to the country, when they're in the country and life in the city again. The country section is the longest and probably the best. The directing is more more leisurely and relaxed than in the city. In the city scenes it's almost as if Bergman isn't quite as comfortably with the material.
The film is a clear realist piece, but Bergman breaks this in two shots towards the end of the movie and it makes quite the impact. Without wanting to give too much away (as this one shot is worth watching the film for) Monika turns and looks directly into the camera, and it holds her in close up for a good 20 seconds I should imagine. The context of it combination with the expression on Harriet Andersson's face make it so powerful. It's the best bit of the film.
A good film, good moments and Harriet Andersson is great.
Rating- 6/10
Top 5-
1) Waiting Women
2) Prison
3) Summer With Monika
4) To Joy
5) Music In Darkness
Friday, 17 April 2009
Waiting Women (1952)
Waiting Women (aka Secrets of Women aka Kvinnors Väntan)
At last a more mature and interesting film from Bergman. He hasn't quite shaken off the 'young couple in love' obsession, but he's found a way to do it more interestingly.
The framing of the story is a group of women waiting for their husbands to return home, and discuss relationships, especially the problem of infidelity. There are three main stories told, the first and the third about infidelity, but the second is the young couple in love section. The second section features regulars Birger Malmsten and Maj-Britt Nilsson as another young couple, but this section is told (mostly) without dialogue, so becomes gestures and shows which is more interesting. But the best episode in the film has to be the third one in which Eva Dahlbeck and Gunnar Björnstrand play a married couple who accidentally get stuck in a life for the night. It's expertly played and quite funny as well as saying something more serious about relationships in general.
I must admit I do like episodic structures in movies, but I find that by and large they aren't done too well. The main trouble is that not all of the episodes are of equal quality, and I think that is a problem this film has with the first episode. I also do have a liking for ensemble casts in films and this does have a good ensemble cast, and most of the players are given their moment in the spotlight, but in larger scenes they work well together.
A good film, and hopefully a good indication of things to come.
Rating- 7/10
Top 5-
1) Waiting Women
2) Prison
3) To Joy
4) Music In Darkness
5) Torment
At last a more mature and interesting film from Bergman. He hasn't quite shaken off the 'young couple in love' obsession, but he's found a way to do it more interestingly.
The framing of the story is a group of women waiting for their husbands to return home, and discuss relationships, especially the problem of infidelity. There are three main stories told, the first and the third about infidelity, but the second is the young couple in love section. The second section features regulars Birger Malmsten and Maj-Britt Nilsson as another young couple, but this section is told (mostly) without dialogue, so becomes gestures and shows which is more interesting. But the best episode in the film has to be the third one in which Eva Dahlbeck and Gunnar Björnstrand play a married couple who accidentally get stuck in a life for the night. It's expertly played and quite funny as well as saying something more serious about relationships in general.
I must admit I do like episodic structures in movies, but I find that by and large they aren't done too well. The main trouble is that not all of the episodes are of equal quality, and I think that is a problem this film has with the first episode. I also do have a liking for ensemble casts in films and this does have a good ensemble cast, and most of the players are given their moment in the spotlight, but in larger scenes they work well together.
A good film, and hopefully a good indication of things to come.
Rating- 7/10
Top 5-
1) Waiting Women
2) Prison
3) To Joy
4) Music In Darkness
5) Torment
Summer Interlude (1951)
Summer Interlude (aka Illicit Interlude aka Summerplay aka Sommarlek)
Another early Bergman- another young couple in love. As much as the young people in love interests Bergman I don't think in any of these movies it's very convincing or interesting (sorry, Ingmar). The story for this is a dancer (Maj-Britt Nilsson) reminisces when she was younger and had a summer romance with Henrik (Birger Malmsten). Sound familiar? The plot could have been easily interchangeable with To Joy or Port of Call, all of them equally formulaic and predictable.
Despite my major gripe there are some positives about this movie. Maj-Britt Nilsson is quite touching as the younger Marie, and the the dialogue has a nice edge of realism too it. My favourite moment was before the end when Marie and the dance-master (Stig Olin) both sit in their costume and make-up and discuss facades and the masks we wear.
Good in small moments, but otherwise uninteresting and unconvincing.
Rating- 5/10
Top 5-
1) Prison
2) To Joy
3) Music In Darkness
4) Torment
5) Summer Interlude
Another early Bergman- another young couple in love. As much as the young people in love interests Bergman I don't think in any of these movies it's very convincing or interesting (sorry, Ingmar). The story for this is a dancer (Maj-Britt Nilsson) reminisces when she was younger and had a summer romance with Henrik (Birger Malmsten). Sound familiar? The plot could have been easily interchangeable with To Joy or Port of Call, all of them equally formulaic and predictable.
Despite my major gripe there are some positives about this movie. Maj-Britt Nilsson is quite touching as the younger Marie, and the the dialogue has a nice edge of realism too it. My favourite moment was before the end when Marie and the dance-master (Stig Olin) both sit in their costume and make-up and discuss facades and the masks we wear.
Good in small moments, but otherwise uninteresting and unconvincing.
Rating- 5/10
Top 5-
1) Prison
2) To Joy
3) Music In Darkness
4) Torment
5) Summer Interlude
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
To Joy (1950)
To Joy (Till Glädje)
There are three main theme in this film- music, young couple in love and troubled artistry; the latter two being themes visited by Bergman before. The music theme is new, but a strong presence- Bergman was a music lover for most of his life, and in the orchestra scenes of the film there's a clear passion for it.
The film opens as Stig Ericksson (regular supporting player Stig Olin promoted to lead) learns his wife Marta (Maj-Britt Nilsson) has died in an accident. Their story is then told in flashback as we see them as an even younger couple who both play violin in an orchestra lead by Sönderby (Victor Sjöström). Stig dreams of being a great soloist but Marta is content to be in the background. The film charts their relationship over the years.
I thought the first half of the movie was, if I'm quite honest, dull and uninvolving. The character of Stig came off as arrogant, though there was an unsuccessful attempt to make him seem like a loser who wants to be accepted. The second half was much more enjoyable and the music sequences were especially good in that half.
A good film. I'd have rated it a seven if it weren't for the dull first half.
Rating- 6/10
Top 5-
1) Prison
2) To Joy
3) Music In Darkness
4) Torment
5) Port of Call
There are three main theme in this film- music, young couple in love and troubled artistry; the latter two being themes visited by Bergman before. The music theme is new, but a strong presence- Bergman was a music lover for most of his life, and in the orchestra scenes of the film there's a clear passion for it.
The film opens as Stig Ericksson (regular supporting player Stig Olin promoted to lead) learns his wife Marta (Maj-Britt Nilsson) has died in an accident. Their story is then told in flashback as we see them as an even younger couple who both play violin in an orchestra lead by Sönderby (Victor Sjöström). Stig dreams of being a great soloist but Marta is content to be in the background. The film charts their relationship over the years.
I thought the first half of the movie was, if I'm quite honest, dull and uninvolving. The character of Stig came off as arrogant, though there was an unsuccessful attempt to make him seem like a loser who wants to be accepted. The second half was much more enjoyable and the music sequences were especially good in that half.
A good film. I'd have rated it a seven if it weren't for the dull first half.
Rating- 6/10
Top 5-
1) Prison
2) To Joy
3) Music In Darkness
4) Torment
5) Port of Call
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Three Strange Loves (1949)
Three Strange Loves (aka Thirst aka Törst)
Without meaning to pun on the title Three Strange Loves is a strange little film. There are a couple of different plot threads weaved together very flimsily. Often whole sequences feel random, or serve as just a little vignette, with no real function to the main plot (which is vague anyway).
The film is based on short stories by Birger Malmsten, and I think this is the problem. If the scriptwriter (Herbert Grevenus) could have picked just one or two to put the main focus on, rather than (seemingly) include as many as possible. One thing the film has going for it is that it contains references to lesbian relationship- remember this is 1949 and that sort of thing just wasn't done or talked about, let alone put on film! So full marks for bravery.
Stylistically there's a lot of long shots, but Bergman cleverly makes it almost unnoticeable. Other than that the film is unremarkable. A book on writing screenplays I once read said: "You can make a bad film out of a good script, but you can never make a good film out of a bad script." This film suffers from that problem.
Rating- 5/10
Top 5-
1) Prison
2) Music In Darkness
3) Torment
4) Port of Call
5) Three Strange Loves
Without meaning to pun on the title Three Strange Loves is a strange little film. There are a couple of different plot threads weaved together very flimsily. Often whole sequences feel random, or serve as just a little vignette, with no real function to the main plot (which is vague anyway).
The film is based on short stories by Birger Malmsten, and I think this is the problem. If the scriptwriter (Herbert Grevenus) could have picked just one or two to put the main focus on, rather than (seemingly) include as many as possible. One thing the film has going for it is that it contains references to lesbian relationship- remember this is 1949 and that sort of thing just wasn't done or talked about, let alone put on film! So full marks for bravery.
Stylistically there's a lot of long shots, but Bergman cleverly makes it almost unnoticeable. Other than that the film is unremarkable. A book on writing screenplays I once read said: "You can make a bad film out of a good script, but you can never make a good film out of a bad script." This film suffers from that problem.
Rating- 5/10
Top 5-
1) Prison
2) Music In Darkness
3) Torment
4) Port of Call
5) Three Strange Loves
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