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Grex Arts Item 76: Ingmar Bergman
Entered by gerund on Tue Apr 19 08:25:53 UTC 1994:

On the advice of a couple of 'aquaintances' of mine I recently rented and
watched two of Ingmar Bergman's films.

The two films were _The Seventh Seal_ and _Persona_.

Ok, Ok, I know if you've seen them you know what I'm talking about when I
say, "Um, is this amazingly deep existential examination or someone's
idea of an acid trip (esp. _Persona_) or just plain crap?"
My honest first viewing opinions?  Well, I liked _The Seventh Seal_, but
found it extremely disturbing in some parts.  I'll have to see it again to
really be sure about it.
_Persona_ might make it into my own private collection of movies.  I don't
think I'll ever know what to make of it.  It has some really 'interesting'
subliminal effects.  I must definitely review this one *several* times
before I can judge it.
I'd like to know what others thing of Bergman.

2 responses total.

#1 of 2 by remmers on Tue Apr 19 22:41:03 1994:

I attended college in the early 1960's, at the time Bergman was having
his first wave of popularity in this country; it was his films, more
than any other single factor, that got me interested in film as an art
form.  I've seen most of the films he made in the 50's and early 60's,
many of them more than once.  Obviously, his work meant a lot to me.
Although I have a much broader perspective now than I did then, and so
don't quite view him with near-reverence any more, he ranks as one of
the premiere film directors of all time.

Favorites include "Illicit Interlude", "The Clown's Evening", "Wild
Strawberries", "Smiles of a Summer Night" (on which the Broadway
musical "A Little Night Music" was based), all from the 50's.  My
experience with his work from the late 60's through the 80's is much
more sporadic, but I was impressed by "Cries and Whispers" and
delighted by his film of Mozart's "Magic Flute".  His made-for-TV
"Scenes from a Marriage" is well worth watching also, although I don't
know how easily available it is in its uncut "miniseries" form -- it
was released theatrically as a much-pared-down standard length
feature.

#2 of 2 by gerund on Wed Apr 20 00:10:17 1994:

I still think it's early for me.  I'm still not sure what I make of the
movies I saw.  They're much different from what you see being made today.

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