Sasom i en spegel (Through a Glass Darkly) - The first part of the, by the critics made up, trilogy by Ingmar Bergman about the absence of God. The movie has got, unlike other Bergmans, a very small cast and simple set-up. I think this was the second collaboration between Nykvist and Bergman. Bergman who traded his older Gunnar Fisher who was specialized in studio-lighting made a very good choice in going to a cinematographer who's expertise is natural lighting, thus Bergman being able to start shooting on location. This movie is the first of a 'trilogy' Bergman made to shake of his religious influenced past, which he didn't wanted. But had to follow by his strict father. It mainly deals with the artists morals (kind of auto-biographical) and finding God trough family ties. A good movie, wonderfully photographed, a very strong preformance by Harriet Andersson, and an excellent choice of location which is present at all three movies. It would have been even better if it would have a little bit more intensity. But overall a very good Bergman. NattvardsgÃÆÃâÃâästerna (Winter Light) - This is the second movie out of the three movies. This movie deals with a Pastor (Gunnar BjÃÆÃâÃâörnstrand) who is forsaken by God. We start in church, when he's giving communion, you can already see he's tormented, his passion is gone, he's empty. The way he does the communion looks more like an exorcism, banning God from the people than something else. He's turning more into an Atheist after his wife's accident in which she died. After the service, he gets a vissit from a tormented fisher and his wife. The Pastor sees this as an oppertunity to test if God has really forsaken him, or that he can still help out. He fails. After that his belliefs and patience are further tested by a woman, whom he had an affair with, who claims she loves him, follows him, basically stalks him. The entire movie you have 'churchgoers', who are having doubt in the existance of God, but in the end there can still be seen some positivity by Bergman, because the helping hand (in church) of the Pastor is still honestly convinced God excists, and the Pastor keeps hope and continues with his service, allthough it being for only one person; the woman who has been with him the entire time. Notably is where the first movie used really glossy and well styled photography this movie is using a really raw type of view on the outside world. It is looking so real, not stylized. At some points it's really confronting. It is also quite curious that we're seeing Bergman, who is a director who isn't really acclaimed for experimenting a lot, comming up with an entire new style of shot; the close up he does when MÃÆÃâÃâärta is reading the letter. Bergman is a master of the close up, and this one is another very well done scene. This movie is a lot more intense than the first movie from the 'trilogy', and only logically scores a little bit higher in my book as well. Tystnaden (The Silence) - Is the last part of this trilogy. And this is where we finally see that this isn't really a trilogy, as it isn't really logically or thematically linkable with the other two movies, which do have that. This movie has got, yet again, some experimenting. Not with the visuals this time, but with sound. As the title already says: Silence. For example; sometimes you only hear background sounds and when there is spoken you don't hear the words said. This movie is a deep and intense silence, alienation between the two sisters Anna and Ester, claustrophobia not only for Ester who is terminally ill and is in a country where she cannot comunicate (even though she is a famous literature translatress), but also for the beautifull Anna who is constantly surrounded by eroticism and can't escape from the past with her sister. And is there hell on earth, in this place where we are staying? This certainly is suggested in the scenes where you're looking out of the window (first train, later hotel) and you're seeing the tanks getting delivered and later rolling trough the streets. This movie is using a lot more symbolism than the first two movies. And I'm still puzzled about one thing: what do the scenes with the midgets mean? They're really surreal like, something that could appear in a Bunuel movie, I really can't place them in the movie. Overall I thought this was the best movie from the 'trilogy', it was the most intense, it had this nightmarish atmosphere, all the alienation. And an ending everybody is scared of. Oh, and if you're wondering where Kubrick got his inspiration for certain scenes from THE SHINING from, this is the thing. This must have been a huge inspiration to Polanski when he was making REPULSION as well. Overall I am very happy that I experienced this trilogy. This is certainly something that I won't forget in a long time, and something that surely requieres another viewing, too fully understand everything. Which is a thing that doesn't take that much time, as the movies are fairly short. The longest being 95 minutes, the shortest being 80 minutes. The movies are also very well paced. If you got interested after reading the small pieces, and you're wondering where to get these movies. I can really recommend the Criterion Collection's box-set of this trilogy. With these movies there also comes a two and a half hour during documantary about making movies with Ingmar Bergman, which I am going to see tomorrow. The DVD is region free, so you can see it from America to Japan and from Brazil to England. You can find information about the release by clicking here. Don't get scared from the criterion collection's price. You're most likely to find it at shops for around $60,-- (USD) instead of the $79.95 (USD) advice price found on the website.
