[AFGNCAAP]

Sad news for cinephiles everywhere. The Swedish film genius passed away earlier today at his home on the island of Fårö, where he spent most of the latest 25 years following his "retirement" (since the release of Fanny and Alexander, he only sporadically broke the silence to direct for TV and theater).

Upon reading the news, I realised with certain sadness, that I am yet to see many of his works, including some of his most acclaimed ones such as Smultronstället (Wild Strawberries), but each and every one I've already watched was a piece of amazing cinema. Seventh Seal, Virgin Spring, Persona, Fanny and Alexander... By my count at least 10 of his 40 movies are widely considered masterpieces today.

Ingmar Bergman was one of the old guard of directors, an auteur never afraid of being "too" philosophical or "too" intellectual for the audience, and had an inexplicable talent for making clear, even while exploring very dark territories thematically, that he loved people, who were always at the center of his interest.

May he find peace, wherever he now is.

[Once A Villain]

The greatest has now passed as far as I'm concerned... R.I.P. Ingmar.

[Spiwak]

Wow, shit. I'm sure everybody expected it to happen before too long but this still came as a suprise. One of the greatest directors the world has seen is now gone.

[Spiwak]

I thought more people here were familiar with him. Ah well.

[After a brisk nap]

We may not all feel a need to comment. What is there to say, anyway?

By the way, Michael Antonioni died later the same day.

[Melanie68]

I liked this picture they had with the Salon.com article (I subscribe so most of you will have to view an ad):

[AFGNCAAP]

Hopefully, those who aren't posting due to the unfamilarity rather than lack of things to say, will be inspired by Bergman's passing to familiarize themselves with his filmography now. From personal experience, there is much to appreciate in his films even when you feel a lot is going over your head. (I think the director wouldn't mind, too. Wikipedia quotes him saying in one interview: "I want audiences to feel, to sense my films. This to me is much more important than their understanding them.")

And he really deserves that chance, whether one enjoys his works themselves, because his influence on the language of cinema is beyond question. For example, I don't know if its creators consciously emulate Bergman, but there is simply not denying that the show Lost owes a lot to him - from visualising protagonists' state of mind to the use of flashbacks. Woody Allen always cited him as his favourite director, too, and for each Allen's movie the less comedic it is, the more obvious Bergman's influence.

Heck, I suppose every visual narrative that puts some emphasis on characters' psychology, borrows from Bergman's legacy, if indirectly. And that's only scratching the surface.


Regarding Antonioni, I didn't hold him in too high esteem (for reasons explained by, appropriately enough, Ingmar Bergman here), but still, there went another icon. It's both symbollic and creepy that they died on the same day.

[SSH]

He was great in Casablanca

[Kolzig]

Im a bit ashamed to say that I've never seen a Ingmar Bergman movie.

[Spiwak]

Nah, don't be ashamed. Just go to your local library and watch a few! I have yet to see one I didn't like, so I won't recommend any specific titles.

I hadn't heard of Antonioni's death. I guess it hasn't seen nearly as much publicity as Bergman's. I love Blow Up and also adore the "trilogy." Hypnotic and elusive, but in a way far different from Bergman's. A few great movies are worth as much praise. Hell, if a director can make just ONE great movie than his career is justified, as far as I'm concerned.

[Once A Villain]

Spiwak is right. It's hard to find a bad Bergman film. Bergman despised his own film The Virgin Spring, but it's actually pretty good. His reason for disliking it is simple...he believes he ripped off Akira Kurosawa's style for the movie, and further believes he did a poor job of it. But most people LIKE The Virgin Spring.

The only film of Bergman's that I truly think was just absolutely weak was The Serpent's Egg. His others, even the minor works, always have something worthwhile in them. And his masterpieces, of which there are many, well...it would take 100 posts to describe their brilliance.

[Henke]

He will truly be missed. One of my favourite directors, I especially like his earlier works, "Prison", "Wild Strawberries" and one of the best movies of all time: "The Seventh Seal". To bad I never got to meet him.

[Jazhara7]

This is very sad to hear. And it's even more sad, since I didn't know that Ingmar Bergman was still alive.



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[Jelena]

Originally Posted by Kolzig

Im a bit ashamed to say that I've never seen a Ingmar Bergman movie.

I'm sure you get Swedish television in Vaasa. They're now showing Bergman movies on SVT1. Tonight's Fanny och Alexander, the five hour version. If you understand some Swedish it's well worth watching. And even if you don't understand any, the visuals is magical.

[Melanie68]

Ingmar Bergman's soap commercials!

That video above is a commentary about the commercials. Here are links to some of the commercials in full:

#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9

[Once A Villain]

LOL. That's so funny. Reminds me of how Orson Welles did wine commercials, only he acted in them instead, and performed them actually drunk. Also reminds me of Kurosawa's beer commercials.

[Melanie68]

Glad you liked them!

I haven't watched all of them yet but the one I liked best, that they showed in the commentary, was the tennis player and then the theater with the drop of sweat and bacteria battling.


And I'm one of those people who hasn't seen a Bergman film either. I just don't make time to watch a ton of movies but I like films like that. I'll be on the lookout. Usually TCM will have cool marathons if someone big in movies passes away.

[lumi]

Colbert Report tribute to Bergman.

[stepurhan]

Nice article in the UK newspaper The Guardian at the weekend. About someone who watched his films after he died and was surprised by them.

I wanted gloom and doom, but Bergman brought me sunshine.

[Melanie68]

Bergman buried in quiet ceremony

He once said: "My pictures are always part of my thinking, and my emotions, tensions, dreams, desires. Sometimes they appear from the past, sometimes they grow up from my present life."

But Bergman confessed in 2004 that he could not bear to watch his own films because they made him depressed.

That last sentence doesn't surprise me after thinking about it a bit. If those films came from such a personal core, they would be hard to watch.