Review
ingrid berman was diagnosed with terminal cancer shortly before she agreed to star in this film. due to the fact that insurance companies in hollywood rarely secure contracts with ill actors ingrid had to take what she could while she was still alive. i dont know what her financial situation was at the time but i do know that her fee for starring in this film was much less than she was used to. yet despite her condition this became to me at least her swansong performance.
during ingrids prime she had considerable control of her image in hollywood. she was portrayed more often than not as a strong and goddesslike character (casablanca anyone). in this film however all control of imaging was in the hands of her swedish counterparts ingmar bergman and sven nykvist and the image they created of her was deconstructive of her screen persona yet not in her brilliance and ability as an actress.
ingrid hated working with them though. ingmar would command long takes and sven would put the camera inches from her face. yet this technique showed a side of ingrid the world has never seen before.
ingrids charactercharlotte is a successful concert pianist yet unsuccessful mother who returns to see her two daughters and a soninlaw. one daughter is married yet is incapable of feeling love. and the other (helena played by 60s swedish film star lena nyman) is left virtually paralyzed. she returns to visit after 7 years and thats when the sparks fly.
liv ullman who plays eva (the married daughter) has usually been portayed as a nonconfrontational person in her collaborations with ingmar yet her persona in this film is slightly reserved in the beginning but all her inhibitions are unleashed upon charlotte. ive always remembered ingrid as a beautiful painted rose on the screen (for whom the bell tolls anyone) but when this film ends all we see is ingrids tearstained face. this may be ingmars own reaction to his own shortcomings as a husband and father (7 kids4 marriages). in an effort to deconstruct himself he looked at another icon to drive home his point of childhood pain and adult insecurities.
at this films end the most punishing scenes occur. im not going to spoil it for you but its the scene when eva walks amongst cemetery headstones while charlotte takes the train out of town. i hate to admit it but there was a lump in my throat at this point in the film.
although i praise this film i wouldnt give this movie a 10 because of nymans character. although her scene in the beginning is powerful her other two appearances(although brief) are way overthetop almost as bad as jarjar binks in phantom menace.
i could write more but i want everyone who reads this to go see this movie without my crappy opinions ruining it. its not often that people see a film with such realistic portrrait of the human condition. and as i said earlier ingrid and ignmar have rarely (maybe never)been better.
9 out of 10 (***12 out of ****)