Rating: 
Summary: Elegant Box Set from Criterion
Review: The three films in this box set represent some of the best of Ingmar Bergman's work in the 'chamber drama' format. As the director's interest in classical music grew, the art house scene saw more and more films from Bergman with just a few characters interacting within one location, like the instruments in a string quartet. In __Through a Glass Darkly__, __Winterlight (aka __The Communicants__), and __The Silence__, Bergman exorcises the spiritual demons of his childhood within a very modern, every-day context. The themes that he deals with are the same ones which drove such classics as __The Seventh Seal__ and __Wild Strawberries__; however, while such movies were theatrical and featured archetypical characters, the films in the trilogy (and most of Bergman's subsequent works) are realistic and feature psychologically nuanced and complex characters. In __Through a Glass Darkly__, a vacationing family is forced to deal with its own disintegration. The daughter, Karin, played masterfully by Harriet Anderson, battles schizophrenia and attempts in vein to stay in touch with consensual reality, while her father David, played by the stoic Gunner Bjornstrand finds himself unable to resist the urge to use her illness as a means to drive his artistic and intellectual work as a novelist. Max von Sydow plays Karin's loving and simple husband, while her brother, Minus, played by Lars Pasgard, comes to represent the anxieties and insecurities of the family's next generation. This is a difficult film to watch. Emotionally, it is overwhelming (though Bergman never strays too far from his characteristic subtlety). The next offering in the trilogy is __Winterlight__. Here Gunner Bjorstrand plays Tomas, a mid-aged priest, whose own crisis of fate fails to save a parishioner in his church from committing suicide at the thought of nuclear holocaust. Meanwhile, in a superb performance, Ingrid Thulin plays Tomas's mistress, an atheist who attempts to save him from his own spiritual and personal failings. Finally, __The Silence__ is the controversial third move in the trilogy. While traveling through a mysterious foreign country, two sisters, the intellectual Ester (Ingrid Thulin) and the sensual Anna (Gunnel Lindblom), and Anna's 10-year-old son, are forced to stay in an almost abandoned hotel. Sexual tension rises as Ester and Anna (presumably intimate) cannot come to terms with their own diverging desires. Anna's son Johan, played by Jorgen Lindstrom, must discover the hotel, while attempting to understand the uncertainty of the world around him. I will not go into the deeper symbolic structures of each film and allow viewers to discover for themselves. __The Silence__, the most bleak AND most optimistic film in the trilogy, is my favorite, though __Winterlight__ will probably compel more viewers. The era of Bergman's auteurism is gone. Just as Antonioni, Dreyer, and other masters of high modernist cinema have lost their once immense popularity in the American and European art house scene, so have Bergman and the 'Bergmanesque' been long in decline. However, it is definitely a good idea to view these films. Even if the singular existential angst portrayed by Bergman is no longer the anxiety of the postmodern era, Bergman's technical abilities and his skills in drawing incredible perfomances from his troupe of actors are a wonder to behold. Each DVD contains a short discussion with film scholar Peter Cowie. Also included is __Ingmar Bergman Makes a Movie__ on a separate disk. Bergman fans will enjoy more than two hours of interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from the making of __Winterlight__. The box set contains just the right amount of extras. It is packaged elegantly and is a great buy.
Rating:
Summary: A life-changing faith examination...
Review: The trilogy consists of three seperate stories using the same actors, all telling a similar theme with different backgrounds, very little plot, intense angst and the literal silence of music, as well as at times, excruciating silence between the characters. It's as if the dialogue is, at times, and mostly in the third, what they don't say. The first, "Through a Glass Darkly", is off of what the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:11, "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." (KJV) It is the story of a psychologically disturbed woman, her father who is a successful but struggling writer, her husband who is a doctor who cannot diagnose her, and her little brother who is starting to enter his phase of understanding human sexuality. In the end, she totally loses it and is convinced that, when the door to her closet mysteriously opens, God calls her over and shows himself as a tiny spider who crawls out. This was the easiest for me to watch, and the most blatantly theological, I think, though it comes close to the second one. The movie explains the concept of knowing there is a God, but wondering why He is so excrucuatingly silent at times. The second, "Winter Light", takes place one day in a small church in Sweden. A pastor, who is questioning God because of His silence, can barely give a sermon, let alone console his congregation. One man attends with his wife and stays after every service, asking the pastor to console his fears of nuclear war (the movies were made around the time of the cold war) and his paranoia. The pastor, wanting to tell him to put his trust in God, admits through his silence on the matter that he cannot tell him to have faith, for he questions his own. The man leaves, while the pastor is approached by a lover he had so long ago, wanting him back. He does not know what to keep, his love of God or love for her. She is an example of the earthly temptations that keep us from faith in God. Near the end, the man scared of nuclear war shoots himself in the head, causing the pastor to have to console the family of the man he couldn't help, to console with the faith he doesn't have that both he and the man wanted. The wife isn't disturbed, she saw it coming. I must say that this is the best of all that I saw, and excruciating to watch. It mirrors me, a person who sometimes has such strong faith but other times questions and feels he can be of no use to anyone to convey the glory of God through his living because I'm concerned, myself. Highly existential and brilliantly done, very theological. The movie makes a statement along the lines of mankind's doubt of God because of His silence. The last one is titled, "The Silence", and all hell breaks loose in this one. There is little dialogue and no music. It is about two 20 something sisters travelling by train through Sweden with one's 10 year old son. They end up staying at a mostly empty hotel. One sister has bronchial problems and must rest in bed all of the movie, as well as take care of her sister's child. Her sister is a nihilist, she goes out and sleeps around with men, doesn't care much about responsibility or taking care of her child and at one point is raped by a man she thinks she likes...and has to accept it, despite her sister's attempts to save her from it. This is the hardest to watch for many friends of mine, I had to watch it in three half hour sittings because I could not bear to watch it all at once. The sister who is taking care of the child and who is sick soon realizes her sister's nihilism when they realize the silence of God. In the end, the sister and her son leave while the sick one stays behind in the hotel for awhile longer. This one strikes on the notion that God does not exist, and that is why there is silence. Or possibly, the silence of a world that doesn't believe God exists.
Rating:
Summary: Bergman's Chamber Films
Review: These three films are not entirely a trilogy. They document the gradual move from Bergman's doubtful Christianity to his even more doubtful secular humanism. With these films, Bergman abandoned the heavy allegorical, morality play approach of films like Wild Strawberries and the Seventh Seal. By contrast, these films utilize a single, sometimes clausterphobic setting, small groups of characters, and sparse production. These are, after Strindberg's so-called chamber plays, chamber films. Through a Glass Darkly is my favorite of the three. The beautiful photography in Sven Nykvist's opening shots set the scene for the three films -- a group of people arriving on a desert island (Faro), where they're vacationing. The whole film takes place on this island. Gunnar Bjornstrand plays the role of a despondent writer who finds himself morbidy curious with his own daughter's (Harriet Anderson) demise into madness. He notes her "progress" with criminal objectivity in his diary, perhaps for later use in a novel. Max Von Sydow plays Anderson's husband and doctor, who finds himself helpless in helping his wife, and is racked with guilt that, perhaps, he has already begun to lose his feelings for her. The climax of this film, Anderson's striking illusionary encounter with the thematic "Spider God" is one of the greatest moments any actor or actress has ever committed to screen. This bold and powerful film, perhaps Bergman's best, uses only the opening lines of Bach's Saraband from his 2nd cello concerto to pronounce the drama, creating an incredible dynamic. The camera is still, forcing the viewer to stomach the action with the same objectivity of the tortured Bjornstrand. The ending of this that film, however, was dissatisfying. Bergman was forced to fall back on the notion that God is love and love is God as the salvation for man. He set about to tackle this issue in his next film, Winter Light (Tarkovsky once called this his second favorite film of all time, after Bresson's Diary of a Country Priest). Here a fatigued country priest, again Gunnar Bjornstrand, is confronted by a suicidal man, Max Von Sydow, who needs his help. The man is tortured by a practical issue, nuclear terror and man's hatred, and Bjornstrand finds his answer of God and love being neither convincing to the man or himself. His own inability to express love for his mistress, Ingrid Thulin, counterpoints the plot. Bjornstrand must contend with the spectre of God's silence, and the even more daunting problem of man's loneliness. Shot in almost all natural light, with gritty, sometimes deliberatley ugly shots by Nykvist, the film takes the approach of the first film to an even further extent. The camera hardly moves, and we are meant to see every small detail, like a priest slowly running his hands across a desk, with excrutiating detail. The last film, The Silence, is a little different than the first two. If man's love, not God's, was the answer given in Winter Light, Bergman meant to take the question a little further: what if man is unable to communicate, unable to love at all? This brought him to his grand finale -- one of the boldest, most daring films ever made. The film is about two sisters (Ingrid Thulin and Gunnel Lindblom), who are also perhaps also lesbian lovers. They are travelling with Lindblom's young son to a strange wartorn country where none of them speak the language. Thulin, an austere, ascetic linguist, is dying, while her lover, the sensual, simple epicurean Lindblom, abandons her to find other sexual liasons. The little boy is caught in the middle of their incredible violence toward one another. The inability to communicate is the theme, and its not just "God's silence" here, but man's silence that causes this coarse and horrible social brutality. Unlike the other two films, Nykvist uses tracks and moving cameras to inject the viewer straight into the crammed hotel room, and the long, mysteriously empty hallways. This film features sexual scenes so daring, its hard to believe a film today would even be as bold. But the sex isn't at all erotic -- its hideous, ugly, and even physically repulsive. The documentary that accompanies this set, Ingmar Bergman Makes a Movie, is by Vilgot Sjoman (I Am Curious), who was an understudy of Bergman's. It follows the making of Winter Light from the writing of the screenplay to the premiere and the critical reception. This incredible 5-part documentary makes this box set well worth the purchase. Other extras include short filmed essays by Peter Cowie which are pretty insightful. Transfer quality here is unassailable. On another note, Ingrid Thulin, who acted in many of Bergman's films including two of this trilogy and the documentary, died this year (2004) on January 8th at the age of 74. A wonderful actress who Albert Camus once called "the perfect woman." She'll be sorely missed.
Rating:
Summary: A fine achievement for Criterion.
Review: This box set by Criterion contains 3 of Bergmans films which often are considered a trilogy although there are all different characters and plots, although the themes of each are similar. It also contains a documentary Vilgot Sjöman on the making of one of the second film in the trilogy.
The first film, "Through a Glass Darkly" known as "Såsom i en spegel" in Sweden is about a mentally ill woman who is spending time with her husband, brother and, father. Her delusions lead her to believe that God is talking to her. This film has some nice acting and is very impressive
The second film "Winter Light" known as "Nattvardsgästerna" in Sweden, but actualy translates as " The Communicants," is about a Lutheran pastor having a crisis of faith. He believes that God has abandoned him. When a fisherman asks him for help, he is unsure of what to do. This film also has some fine acting and great scenery.
The third film "The Silence" known as "Tystnaden" in Sweden, is about a woman travelling abroad through a country on the brink of war with her sister and her young son, when the aunt falls ill, they stay at a hotel. The boy meets a troupe of circus dwarves and befriends them. The aunt's health deteriorates and she falls in love with one of her caregivers. This film is my favorite in the trilogy and is very impresive
The documentary "Ingmar Bergman Makes a Movie" known as "Ingmar Bergman gör en film" in Sweden, is a documentary about the making of the film "Winter Light" It covers everything from pre-production to the film's premiere.
The box set has some great special features as well
Discs 1-3 contain their respective films as well a video introduction by Peter Cowie, a theatrical trailer, and an optional English language dubbed soundtrack. Disc 3 also contains a poster gallery for each of the 3 films, and disc 4 only contains the documentary.
Fans of Bergman will love this release!
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Summary: amazon's off on it's description
Review: This is, according to Criterion, a 4 disc set, not 3. Also included in the set is the documentary "Ingmar Bergman makes a Film". Despite numerous attempts to get Amazon to verify this and update their page they still have not. Verification is found at Criterion's website .......(This was also verified by Criterion via email to me). The Criterion description of this film follows: The year is 1961 and Ingmar Bergman is making a movie. While planted on the scene as apprentice to Bergman, Vilgot Sjöman (director, I Am Curious-Yellow, 1967), suggests to Swedish Television that they take the opportunity to record with the acclaimed director. In August, Sjöman and the television crew begin to capture what would become a comprehensive five-part documentary on the making of Winter Light, offering views of script development, set construction and lighting, rehearsals and editing, as well as intimate conversations with Bergman and members of his cast and crew. Footage from the film's Swedish premiere delivers immediate audience reactions and the critics' reviews the following day. Originally recorded on 16mm film, the television series Ingmar Bergman Makes a Movie is presented here in its entirety for the first time outside of Sweden. Thought you would want to know.
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Summary: Bergman¿s supreme achievement
Review: While "The Seventh Seal," "Wild Strawberries," and "Cries and Whispers," are better known, Ingmar Bergman's "Trilogy," variously known as the "Faith Trilogy" or the "Chamber Film" trilogy, is for my money Ingmar Bergman's supreme achievement, approachable only by "Persona" and "Shame" later that decade. Casting a penetrating eye on the zeitgeist of the mid-Twentieth century and the concurrent loss of faith in traditional notions of authority and truth, Bergman created some of the most spellbinding works world cinema and the twentieth century ever produced. It may be more fashionable now for film followers to say they prefer Bresson, Fassbinder, or von Trier--Bergman was so highly praised in the 1960s that it's almost chic to deride him these days--but "The Trilogy," particularly the second and third film in the set, remain unparalleled achievements. "Winter Light" and "The Silence" are breathtakingly dramatic, and, despite what you might have heard, not at all contingent upon an interest in Christian theology. One of my close friends is a Muslim-raised atheist from Iran, and when I brought up "Winter Light" to him a month or so ago he said: "My God! That's one of the most intense films I've ever seen! You can't breath while you're watching it, it's so powerful!" He's right. And despite initial fears that this DVD edition would just reissue the previously released censored versions of these films, Criterion has happily gone back to Sweden and re-mastered the director's own, original cuts of each for this boxed set. If you decide that you can only be bothered to own only the twenty best movies ever produced on DVDs, this set should count as one of the twenty. Von Trier, Kubrick, Dryer, Bresson, Kiarostami, Kurosawa, Ozu, Fassbinder, Renoir... None of them ever hit the heights Bergman achieved with "The Trilogy."
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