Cinema Cafe
Ingmar Bergman: A tribute
Paul De Amicis
Issue date: 6/16/08 Section: A&E
Like the truth seeking knight in his film "The Seventh Seal," Ingmar Bergman played chess against Death and lost. When the Swedish filmmaker passed away quietly last year at age 89, it marked the final FADE OUT of perhaps the most brilliant and influential filmmaker of 20th century cinema.
Bergman made 62 films in his long career, including such highly praised masterpieces as "The Seventh Seal," "Wild Strawberries," "Through a Glass Darkly," "Fanny" and "Alexander." His father was a Lutheran minister and strict disciplinarian. As a youth, Bergman disagreed with his father's religious dogma, and because of this, many of his films deal with the guilt and confusion of Christianity.
Existentialist themes are also popular in Bergman films as his characters often attempt to understand why tragedy has senselessly struck them. How do the random scenes of our lives fit together, if they do at all? What is the meaning of life, and why we are here?
However, perpetually enigmatic Bergman films typically raise more questions than they answer, giving viewers plenty to contemplate and debate at the local cafe after the film.
Bergman also directed live theater throughout his life, and his films often look and feel like filmed plays. Bergman's films are not known for physical action. Rather, he uses psychological suspense.
Typically, in a Bergman film, the main characters talk, think and argue in some peaceful provincial setting. But what is dynamic and riveting is that they are talking, thinking and arguing about the deepest issues of life: love, art, death and religion. Because of this, the dialogue in a Bergman film is powerfully compelling, insightful, intelligent, poetic and light years above standard film dialogue.
Because Bergman films were mostly dialogue, most scenes were shot in extreme close-up, giving the viewer an intimacy with the characters that is uncommonly powerful. It was also Bergman's habit to cast and re-cast actors well-known to him from the theater. This gave him an uncommonly close and intimate working relationship with his actors, and it was this powerfully deep association that brought out profoundly deep and kaleidoscopic performances that were forever preserved on film.
Bergman gained worldwide fame as a director, a fact that overshadowed his equal genius as a screenwriter who wrote the screenplays to nearly all of his films.
Good night, sweet prince.
Paul De Amicis is a columnist for La Voz. Contact him at pauldeamicis@lavozdeanza.com.
Bergman made 62 films in his long career, including such highly praised masterpieces as "The Seventh Seal," "Wild Strawberries," "Through a Glass Darkly," "Fanny" and "Alexander." His father was a Lutheran minister and strict disciplinarian. As a youth, Bergman disagreed with his father's religious dogma, and because of this, many of his films deal with the guilt and confusion of Christianity.
Existentialist themes are also popular in Bergman films as his characters often attempt to understand why tragedy has senselessly struck them. How do the random scenes of our lives fit together, if they do at all? What is the meaning of life, and why we are here?
However, perpetually enigmatic Bergman films typically raise more questions than they answer, giving viewers plenty to contemplate and debate at the local cafe after the film.
Bergman also directed live theater throughout his life, and his films often look and feel like filmed plays. Bergman's films are not known for physical action. Rather, he uses psychological suspense.
Typically, in a Bergman film, the main characters talk, think and argue in some peaceful provincial setting. But what is dynamic and riveting is that they are talking, thinking and arguing about the deepest issues of life: love, art, death and religion. Because of this, the dialogue in a Bergman film is powerfully compelling, insightful, intelligent, poetic and light years above standard film dialogue.
Because Bergman films were mostly dialogue, most scenes were shot in extreme close-up, giving the viewer an intimacy with the characters that is uncommonly powerful. It was also Bergman's habit to cast and re-cast actors well-known to him from the theater. This gave him an uncommonly close and intimate working relationship with his actors, and it was this powerfully deep association that brought out profoundly deep and kaleidoscopic performances that were forever preserved on film.
Bergman gained worldwide fame as a director, a fact that overshadowed his equal genius as a screenwriter who wrote the screenplays to nearly all of his films.
Good night, sweet prince.
Paul De Amicis is a columnist for La Voz. Contact him at pauldeamicis@lavozdeanza.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
thanks
posted 12/03/08 @ 7:43 PM PST
That was a great tribute... thanks.
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