Ingmar Bergman discussion

[GulDukat]

Bergman has been discussed in the Criterion thread, but I feel that he deserves his own thread.

I just saw Persona--wow. Don't know what to make of it, still processing the film. Wild Strawberries, a film about reflection, regret, growing old, another wonderful film. The Seventh Seal, playing chess with death....

I think a lot of NIN fans would adore Bergman, and I hope people check out his work.

[wizfan]

I've seen two of the three films you mentioned (Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries). I enjoy how dreamlike his films feel without all the surrealistic "bells and whistles" (special effects, weird camera angles etc.) that Lynch and Jodorowsky use all the time - not to say I don't like those directors, it's just that Bergman achieved so much with so little.

[versusreality]

I picked up the boxset this month since it's on sale...I'm about 10 films in..only 29 more to go!

I've seen such diversity in his films. And even his early films had just really thoughtful shots and dialog. I've only see the Seventh Seal when I was younger..but after watching Persona, he instantly, instantly, became one of my favorite directors of all time. Persona made me buy the box set.

[Jon]

The Virgin Spring was the inspiration for The Last House on the Left. Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light, and The Silence are a loose trilogy based around spirituality. Bergman later retracted the statement that these are a trilogy.

One of my top directors next to Kurosawa and Tarkovsky.

[burnmotherfucker!]

I picked up the boxset this month since it's on sale...I'm about 10 films in..only 29 more to go!

I've seen such diversity in his films. And even his early films had just really thoughtful shots and dialog. I've only see the Seventh Seal when I was younger..but after watching Persona, he instantly, instantly, became one of my favorite directors of all time. Persona made me buy the box set.

I know this comment is 2 years old but I discovered this thread while searching for another topic and I relate to this. A few years back I decided it was finally time to get around to watching Bergman after hearing basically every director ever say he's one of the best. I looked up lists of his best films and noticed two were always at the top, Persona and Seventh Seal. So I decided I'd watch a double feature of them. I watched Seventh Seal first since it was the older film and afterwards I thought, well there's no way Persona will beat that. Then I watched Persona and was blown away by how good it was. Truly innovative film. I mean the roots of so many of my favorite movies come from that and I didn't even know it. Mullholland Drive, Fight Club, Black Swan come to mind.

[Jon]

Do the people that own the CC Cinema box set keep theirs put up on a shelf, or do you have it out on a coffee table? 11x8x2; I'm looking at redoing all of my storage to get this on a shelf.

[GulDukat]

Then I watched Persona and was blown away by how good it was. Truly innovative film. I mean the roots of so many of my favorite movies come from that and I didn't even know it. Mullholland Drive, Fight Club, Black Swan come to mind.

Never made that connection but I totally see that.

[burnmotherfucker!]

Never made that connection but I totally see that.

And I'd also add The Lighthouse to that list now.

All this time later and I believe Persona is the best film I have ever seen, and I've seen a lot. Cries and Whispers is nothing to sneeze at either. Absolutely devastating film. His best films really give me a similar feeling to the best existentialist/absurdist literature I've read.

[Toadflax]

Has anyone seen the new film Bergman Island? It takes place on Fårö, where the main characters (Vicky Krieps and Tim Roth) are on a sort of Bergman pilgrimage. Mia Wasikowska also stars in the second half. It's full of Bergman references, so while you don't need to know anything about him to appreciate the plot, I expect it's one of those movies that pays extra dividends for those with a strong knowledge of his filmography.

[GulDukat]

Has anyone seen the new film Bergman Island? It takes place on Fårö, where the main characters (Vicky Krieps and Tim Roth) are on a sort of Bergman pilgrimage. Mia Wasikowska also stars in the second half. It's full of Bergman references, so while you don't need to know anything about him to appreciate the plot, I expect it's one of those movies that pays extra dividends for those with a strong knowledge of his filmography.

Never heard of it, thanks for the recommendation. I'll have to look into it.

RE: Cries and Whispers. Great film but the scenes with Agnes dying of cancer are devastating and hard to watch.

[Jon]

Has anyone seen the new film Bergman Island? It takes place on Fårö, where the main characters (Vicky Krieps and Tim Roth) are on a sort of Bergman pilgrimage. Mia Wasikowska also stars in the second half. It's full of Bergman references, so while you don't need to know anything about him to appreciate the plot, I expect it's one of those movies that pays extra dividends for those with a strong knowledge of his filmography.

That one slipped under my radar, thanks! I'll have to do a double bill of that and Tarkovsky's The Sacrifice one of these days.

Have you seen the documentary Trespassing Bergman? It's worth it for bitter Lars von Trier.

[Jon]

The Seventh Seal Criterion 4K release date April 18, 2023. No new features except for the 4K transfer.

[GulDukat]

The Seventh Seal Criterion 4K release date April 18, 2023. No new features except for the 4K transfer.

I need to see this again.

[Erneuert]

New Depeche Mode video looks inspired by The Seventh Seal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIyrLRixMs8