Winter Light (1962)

4/5

Ingmar Bergman's Winter Light follows a pastor who begins to lose his faith in God after his wife dies. Much like Through a Glass Darkly, it examines religious doubt and God's silence during trying times. Except here we have a much more coherent message and powerful story that leaves you in breathless anticipation for its entire second half. What makes this movie so good is that the pastor's ultimate decision on whether to maintain his faith is entirely left up to the viewer. It can be interpreted either way, depending on the viewer's own beliefs. This is a difficult feat that Bergman has accomplished, and would be considered magical if the whole movie weren't so depressing. But depressing is what it is, which may turn some people away from this thought-provoking film.

As I said before, this movie shares a lot with Bergman's earlier film. The dialogue is rich with depth and thematic meaning; he even reuses several quotes and images from his previous film to much greater effect. The cinematography is even crisper and more beautiful than before and the editing is vastly improved. The use of sound and silence is intelligently conceived and effectively carried out. The acting is underplayed the right amount and the characters and their relationships are complex without being incomprehensible. However, it may not appeal to people with little interest in religion or faith. And it can be a bit boring at times (although it is also relatively short, at 80 minutes). Regardless, this is a fascinating study of man's faith during times of apparent abandonment, and can be a potent discussion-starter if you ever find yourself in the mood to think about such topics.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057358/

Through a Glass Darkly (1961)

3/5

Ingmar Bergman's Through a Glass Darkly is a movie that is equal parts fascinating and equal parts aggravating. The movie is essentially a character study of a woman suffering from schizophrenia who was recently released from a mental institution. She spends her first 24 hours out with her husband, father, and brother on a vacation island. During that time, she experiences aural hallucinations about seeing God, which is where the movie finds its title. According to the Bible, seeing God in life can only occur through a glass, and darkly; we cannot see Him clearly except in death. However, explaining even this skeleton of a plot was not a simple task, requiring some external data-gathering, because the movie is full of subtleties that are far too subtle. The thing about it is that the movie is compelling enough to make you want to go out and find out more about it. Unlike La Notte, it's not bad enough that you can just dismiss the seeming impenetrabilities.

Technically, the movie is a mixed bag. Shot by Sven Nykvist, it's beautiful. The editing is more than adequate, but nothing special. And as I've said before of the movie as a whole, the writing and dialogue are really interesting, but can sometimes be too confusing. The acting is similarly double-edged. At times there's overacting and posturing that makes it seem unrealistic. At other times there's underplayed subtlety that feels real but can be difficult to discern. Basically, the movie has some good stuff and some bad stuff. Neither overwhelms the other. Watch it at your own risk.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055499/

Smiles of a Summer Night (1955)

4/5

Ingmar Bergman's Smiles of a Summer Night is a bit atypical considering his dark, religious oeuvre. Although the self-applied moniker of "romantic comedy" may be a bit of a stretch for contemporary audiences, it is more than apt considering his more brooding masterpieces. The plot follows a series of couples, their servants and maids, and the romantic complications they find themselves enmeshed in on a weekend outing at a summer house. As the plot progressed, I kept thinking how similar it was to The Rules of the Game (it even ends with a gunshot). There were also hints of Children of Paradise, especially in the same kind of confident filmmaking that comes with a complete mastery of the craft. Yet it's not quite as good as those two.

The acting and writing were all fully realized. The cinematography and editing were more than competent. None of the individual technical aspects stood out on their own, but rather served as a groundwork for the message. Yet the message seemed to be an inferior, muted version of the many themes present in The Rules of the Game. Most were spelled-out or of little value, almost as if Bergman didn't trust the audience as much as he does in his more serious pics. I wasn't sure what I got out of the movie when it ended--no greater realization of life and love and all that jazz. Also, much of the romance was verbal or intellectual; everyone's love was talked about, but rarely felt. He should stick to stark portraits of faith. Despite my disparaging remarks, I consider this film an entertaining, joyous, cinematically triumphant film.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0048641/