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Fanny and Alexander

Fanny and Alexander

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Universe of Humanity
Review: I agree ... that Fanny and Alexander is not just a great film, but that it is a career retrospective of Bergman's art encompassing a universe of humanity and the artist's concerns and feelings for all of life.
As such, it is imperative that the US DVD release should not only come soon, but that it should be the complete five hour version released in Europe, but never seen here in the US.
With the Oscar winning art direction, costumes and cinematography, this is Bergman's most luxuriant film that sucks you in with a sweep that never drags. In repeated viewings in theaters and on VHS, I never had a moment of distraction, but always wanted more. Now we can have it, in one of the greatest films of all time.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Huh?
Review: I am a huge foreign film fan, and thought myself in for a treat when I finally got to watch it. I had read the reviews and Oscar hype. I was gravely disappointed. I'm sorry, but I just didn't get it. This is one of the most confusing films I have ever seen. If this is Ingmar Bergan's signature work, I'll never watch another one of his films. I think I'll stick with Ang Lee and Pedro Almodovar.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent
Review: I am not one that likes drama movies, I usually go for the cultish comedies and such. But, at the reccomendation of a friend, I bought Fanny and Alexander. This is one incredible movie. I watched the whole thing at once, all 3 hours, and was ready to watch it again afterwards. This is an incredibly entertaining and engrossing movie. I strongly suggest that this be watched by everyone.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Greatest Film Ever Made
Review: I cannot even begin to describe the excellence this film posesses, radiates, and emanates. This is Bergman's epic masterpiece, a wonderful tale of two siblings who try to cope with their death of their father and their mother's marriage to an ultrareligious ogre through magic and illusion. It has within what is probably the best art direction in the history of cinema, but be forewarned that this is no costume romp. Instead it is a deftly woven tale of a genuinely loving family and their resistance, in the end, to evil. Great performances, production design, writing, and especially directing make this film, truly, the best picture in the history of cinema. I would not say that easily either. Please see this movie, your mind will grow because of it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Great Christmas Movie
Review: I have to admit that I understand why other people would find this film pointless or dull at times. It doesn't seem to be conveying a clear message. On the other hand I don't think it is a movie about delivering a message. It seems to be a movie that explores themes that lie at polar ends from one another like reality and fantasy, and good and evil. The movie seems to be an exercise in those paradoxes and contrasts. The movie also seems to end somewhere in the middle without being able to make a conclusion about those contrasts but life goes on anyway. The biggest part of the contrast is the difference between the household of a loving, albeit eccentric, family of actors and the household that contains the stern clergymen (now stepfather) and his sterile and oppressive family. Then there is the Jewish uncle whose home seems to carry elements of the mystical. The joy of the movie is not so much is what it says but how it is saying it. Allow yourself to get lost among the beautiful images and colorful characters. Its like a Swedish "Hannah and Her Sisters" with a gothic twist. Watching this movie made me remember what it was like to belong to a family clan full of pride and ruled by a loving and, like the rest of this indulgent family, less than perfect matriarch. If I had to say it was about anything I would say it is about the love among a family clan and the confusion between good and evil, and truth and lies for a young boy. Remember this movie is much more than Fanny and Alexander, it is also about an entire cast of characters which are a joy to see (e.g. the adulterous uncle, the favorite maid, the emotionally lost and trapped mother, the favorite son, the alcoholic uncle and his miserable wife etc etc). I recommend you find a way to rent a PAL VCR so you can enjoy the full length British version which contains an extra 2 hours or thereabouts.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Dull Dull Dull
Review: I really wanted to like this movie and I really thought it would have some sort of enlightening climax but was disappointed to find out it barely had a point. I found it to be tediouly boring. I hope I never have to watch another film as dull as this. I can't fathom why people review and praise it as a masterpiece. It is bewildering to say the least.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: IT IS THE BEST MOVIE EVER MADE,BUT NOT THE VIDEO ON SALE
Review: I was waiting for 2 years for the DVD of Fanny and Alexander,but seems it will never "be released".The video is very poor quality,and auch! - the movie is cut so much it is hard to follow the story,some hours of it are missing.Is there a way to find the compleate genius work of Ingmar Bergman ?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: What's the original aspect ratio?
Review: I wish someone could inform me: What's the original aspect ratio of this film? Is it 2.35:1 or 1.33:1?

Is the VHS in the original aspect ratio of the film? If it's not, I rather wait for the DVD to see it in its full widescreen glory. Otherwise, I will purchase the VHS right away.

Would someone please let me know? Thanks.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: We need this movie in DVD format!
Review: I'm not very familiar with other Bergman movies, so I cannot approach this movie from the standpoint of a Bergman fan. But simply as a fan of good movies--I'd love to see this excellent film put into the ultimate format--DVD. It is a visually beautiful and very endearing tale of an upper class theatrical family in Sweden, its quirks, and strengths told as seen through the eyes of a young boy. It is also just a little wierd, but that adds to the wonder and the charm of the story. Especially good viewed at Christmastime.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of Bergman's Best Films.
Review: One of the Master's great films, this 5+ hour epic is a late masterpiece that is not surpassed by any other film in history. Bergman had planned to film it for a long time, but when he finally got to do the desired project, he was already very old and therefore mature enough to come up with a movie that would be longer than "Gone With the Wind" and "Titanic" and yet not bore the viewer with unnecessary details. I've recently purchased this film on tape, and to my horror I realized, as I was watching it, that it was cut down to 3 hours. I mean come on, people, what about the remaining two hours? They just go down the toilet? "Fanny and Alexander" is a great movie, and I'd say it has a right to be released on disc.


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