Director Ingmar Bergman dies, age 89

[C Elegans]

The man who for decades has been synonymous with Swedish film, Ingmar Bergman, died this morning in his home at the small island Fårö.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Film director Bergman dies at 89

Among his most notable work are Cries and Whispers, The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries and Fanny and Alexander. Always more respected internationally than in Sweden, Bergman was no doubt the undisputable giant of Swedish film and theatre and he managed to inspire generations of Swedes to gloominess, depression, family traumas and thoughts about death. He actually said himself in an interview that he rarely watched his own films because they made him feel miserable and depressed.

If I remember correctly, Fable once asked me and Silur if Bergman's films were depicting a stylised version of Swedish culture and the answer is certainly no. For us Swedes, the social interaction, the communication and the wordless tension which is seen in many of his films, is simply realistic in style. As a child, I watched the low budget TV-series "Scenes from a marriage" and I was completely fascinated because it showed the mysteries of adult relationships just as it is. It still remains my Bergman favorite, with its low key, minimalistic style, suffocating claustrophobia and great acting from Liv Ullman and Ernst Josephson.

Those of you who are not familiar with Bergman's work have many hours of art dealing with childhood traumas, fear of death, complicated human relationships and the essential existential questions of human life to look forward too. His films are perhaps not easily accessible by today's standards, they are worth watching because they were genre-setting and stylistically seminal and also, Bergman had the ability to really get the most out of every actor.

[Naffnuff]

Originally Posted by C Elegans

His films are perhaps not easily accessible by today's standards, they are worth watching because they were genre-setting and stylistically seminal and also, Bergman had the ability to really get the most out of every actor.

While too good for most people, all of his work will naturally have a place in the Museum of Human Achievements. And yes, it is a truly amazing feat to get such a neurotic crap actress as Liv Ullman to act at all. Erland Josephson is an extremely able actor on his own, though.

All of Bergman's work is not all that depressing; The Seventh Seal, Fanny and Alexander, and a few early comedies spring to mind. Also, he made a most splendid staging of Mozart's Magic Flute. Not in any way to downplay his "schwer" stuff, which is great.

May whatever major entity his tormented mind may have appealed to rest his soul. Will our humble nation ever breed such a great one again? I doubt it!

Edit: And let us not forget his role as a great writer! As opposed to many great film directors, such as, say, Martin Scorsese, he wrote most his scripts himself. And they are all quite magic in and of themselves.

[fable]

An interesting director. Once he was considered by many the greatest living film director, but he's now largely out of fashion. I admit to disliking many of his "second period" works, and finding his first period comedies pretty stiff. My wife finds them ridiculously stiff and boring, but then, she also doesn't like or understand what The Seventh Seal is all about, and I regard that as a great thing, and the only film I've seen that truly conveys the sense of living in the late Middle Ages--not on the screen, as much as the way subjects were handled, and the mix of comedy and tragedy. I've enjoyed Fanny and Alexander, and will probably try to see some of his other third period work, though the theme of child abuse is a rather touchy one with me.

[C Elegans]

Originally Posted by Naffnuff

And yes, it is a truly amazing feat to get such a neurotic crap actress as Liv Ullman to act at all.

LOL Personally I don't like Ullman at all, except in Scenes from a marriage. Perhaps because she's playing a neurotic crap wife in the series

All of Bergman's work is not all that depressing; The Seventh Seal, Fanny and Alexander, and a few early comedies spring to mind. Also, he made a most splendid staging of Mozart's Magic Flute. Not in any way to downplay his "schwer" stuff, which is great.

True. Everybody I know, me included, likes The Seventh Seal which is, as Fable points out, tragicomic. Fanny and Alexander I don't like personally, and then I haven't seen any other non-depressing works. I think Bergman is at his best in the depressing "second period" works.

May whatever major entity his tormented mind may have appealed to rest his soul. Will our humble nation ever breed such a great one again? I doubt it!

So you are a fellow Swede, huh? I don't think anyone in the present or the next generation of movie or theatre directors any anywhere close to Bergman. But then I generally think all Swedish film and theatre is crap.

[C Elegans]

Originally Posted by fable

I've enjoyed Fanny and Alexander, and will probably try to see some of his other third period work, though the theme of child abuse is a rather touchy one with me.

As I am sure you know, Bergman was abused himself during his childhood. Many believe this is the reason why he so often returned to the theme of family trauma. I haven't seen any of his late period "destructive-family-films", but they are supposed to the good, especially The Best Intentions and Saraband.

[fable]

Originally Posted by C Elegans

As I am sure you know, Bergman was abused himself during his childhood. Many believe this is the reason why he so often returned to the theme of family trauma. I haven't seen any of his late period "destructive-family-films", but they are supposed to the good, especially The Best Intentions and Saraband.

Yes, his unpleasant relationship with is abusive, domineering father is well known on this side of the Atlantic. I suspect I will see the pair you mention, and will try to convince my wife to do, as well. Not much chance of the latter, though!

[Fiberfar]

Originally Posted by Naffnuff

. And yes, it is a truly amazing feat to get such a neurotic crap actress as Liv Ullman to act at all.

Oyh! Be nice, she even got a part of a cinema named after herself here in Norway for her crappy acting!

[Chimaera182]

Ingmar Bergman. Surely shall he be missed.

All of Bergman's work is not all that depressing; The Seventh Seal, Fanny and Alexander, and a few early comedies spring to mind. Also, he made a most splendid staging of Mozart's Magic Flute. Not in any way to downplay his "schwer" stuff, which is great.

I'm a big fan of the depressing; I tend to automatically shy away from anything that isn't, as I see life to be such. I appreciate a good piece of work that shows life for what it is, not for the happily ever after that life can be (thank you Walt Disney's friggin' predecessors). Ingmar Bergman's realistic influence is an inspiration.

[C Elegans]

Originally Posted by fable

Yes, his unpleasant relationship with is abusive, domineering father is well known on this side of the Atlantic. I suspect I will see the pair you mention, and will try to convince my wife to do, as well. Not much chance of the latter, though!

It's also noteworthy that the penalistic, abusive and dictatorlike teacher in his early film "Torment" which he co-directed with Alf Sjöberg, was a portrait of Bergman's own teacher.

Your wife will hopefully appreciate those late films more, or at least stand them better, that the early ones. The heavy theatrical symbolism of his second period work is gone, as are the dark endings that depict human life without mercy or meaning. Instead, I've heard the focus in his late films is on human relationships and although death, guilt and conflict are present, they are supposed to convey more hope.

[Naffnuff]

Originally Posted by C Elegans

LOL Personally I don't like Ullman at all, except in Scenes from a marriage. Perhaps because she's playing a neurotic crap wife in the series

Scenes from a Marriage is a true masterpiece, very powerful stuff, and, yes, Liv Ullman is probably quite fit for the role.

True. Everybody I know, me included, likes The Seventh Seal which is, as Fable points out, tragicomic. Fanny and Alexander I don't like personally, and then I haven't seen any other non-depressing works. I think Bergman is at his best in the depressing "second period" works.

I agree! F&A is not really up to Bergman's usual standards. I like his early comedies, though, but partly because they are so much better than similar contemporary Swedish stuff. However, Sweden was extremely provincial at the time, so it is not surprising if the humour is incomprehensible to, say, an American.

So you are a fellow Swede, huh? I don't think anyone in the present or the next generation of movie or theatre directors any anywhere close to Bergman. But then I generally think all Swedish film and theatre is crap.

Indeed I am! Bergman is one of those unlikely moments in history (such as Mozart or Shakespeare). I have often called him the greatest Swedish artist of all time, but that is partly because we have had so extremely few great ones. Even Norway has had more! (I am a huge fan of Ibsen and Hamsun.)

Originally Posted by Fiberfar

Oyh! Be nice, she even got a part of a cinema named after herself here in Norway for her crappy acting!

Speaking of our former colony!

I am sure she has! Actually, it is quite amazing how common it is for otherwise decent theatre directors to indulge their mistresses on stage. Kind of goes to show, doesn't it!

[Naffnuff]

Originally Posted by C Elegans

As I am sure you know, Bergman was abused himself during his childhood. Many believe this is the reason why he so often returned to the theme of family trauma. I haven't seen any of his late period "destructive-family-films", but they are supposed to the good, especially The Best Intentions and Saraband.

It should perhaps be pointed out that while he wrote the script for it, Bergman did not direct Best Intentions, Bille August did. However, August is quite an able director himself, and this tv-series is interesting in that it depicts Bergman's parents and his own early childhood. It also offers a very interesting account of Swedish society of that time. By contrast, the haut-bourgeoisie milieu of Fanny and Alexander is more of a fantasy created as a foil to the low-church environment of the Step Father.