Rating: 
Summary: Three Brilliant Cinematic Experiences by Bergman...
Review: A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman probably considered one of the best cinematic trilogies ever, if not the films alone are considered to be some of the best film ever made. Criterion gives this trilogy an appropriate treatment as they release all three films together with a documentary.Through a Glass Darkly is the first installment of Bergman's Trilogy that takes place on an island off the coast of Sweden where a family is having a vacation at their summer home. The father, David (Gunnar Björnstrand), has recently returned from one of his many trips and his closest family is present. His family consists of his daughter Karin (Harriet Andersson), who is struggling with a mental illness that is gradually getting worse, his son Fredrik (Lars Passgård) who is in the middle of his scholarly diversion, and Martin (Max von Sydow) who is Karin's husband and a medical doctor. As the siblings rediscover the family home, they recall blissful moments from their childhood, however, the happiness brings back a strong sense of melancholy that threads their memories. These depressing memories of an absent father and his shortcomings as a care-giver have resulted in deep scars in the sibling's psyche. Reminiscence of their agonizing past affects Karin's mental health as it is deteriorating at a much faster pace, which brings the family members regret and grief. This then causes anguish among all the present family members as they are all affected by Karin in one way or another. Through a Glass Darkly is the beginning of a trilogy where grief and pain commence, which will be followed by Winter Light and Silence. Bergman demonstrates a thorough understanding of the human consciousness as he directs Through a Glass Darkly where he dissects the social structure of a family and its affects on its members. This results in an outmost brilliant cinematic experience. Winter Light is the second film after Through a Glass Darkly. Pastor Ericsson (Gunnar Björnstrand) is suffering an enduring cold and he must hold mass for an ever-shrinking congregation as he is facing a spiritual crisis of his own. After the mass, Pastor Ericsson attempts to withdraw due to his cold, but is confronted by Jonas Persson's wife. It appears that Jonas (Max von Sydow) is suffering from severe anxiety and depression. However, Pastor Ericsson is inept in helping Jonas's emotional distress and instead addresses his own divine doubts about God. The pastor is also pondering his current affair with Märta (Ingrid Thulin) that he is thinking of ending, but Märta insists that they should continue to see each other. As a result, Pastor Ericsson is meditatively squeezed in between God and Märta as he has difficulty deciding on what he wants. He desires Märta's love as he knows it offers him comfort on a daily basis, but it goes against his ideal perspective of how to serve as a minister. Winter Light is not as grandiose as Bergman's earlier films (e.g., Naked Night and Seventh Seal). It is apparent that he has taken a new path as he is directing this film in a much smaller milieu. The setting is a personal place where catharsis is permitted without interruptions as Pastor Ericsson is facing his own demons. Winter Light serves as an enlightening and purgative link between Through a Glass Darkly and Silence. In the end, Winter Light offers an ultimate cinematic experience for self-reflection as it opens doors where questions must be asked. Silence is the third film after the succession of Through a Glass Darkly and Winter Light. The sisters, Ester (Ingrid Thulin) and Anna (Gunnel Lindblom), are stranded in a foreign city with Anna's son, Johan. Ester is a neurotic over-achiever that often attempts to look at the rationality of things and Anna is a careless thrill-seeker that acts on her impulses. The two of them have unresolved issues that reach as far back as their childhood which have left them in an emotional turmoil. These issues cloud their judgment on how to approach each other as if they were lost within the emotional confusion caused by these issues. This confusion is left in a vacuum where their bitterness is growing in silence. Johan is placed in the middle of this silence as a compassionate shadow between the sisters, which encourages them to maintain a civil harmony. The sisters' only hope for healing is the innocence of Johan's curiosity which is untouched by the worldly cynicism that controls most of the sisters beliefs and values. Johan's innocence is full of acceptance, understanding, life, and love, which is something that Ester and Anna have difficulty in sharing. In addition, the silence between them sets their minds and thoughts pessimistically adrift and is elevated through their personal cynicism. Silence uses cinematography that is unmatched as it enhances emotional turmoil that the sisters are experiencing through the use of provoking camera angles, close-ups, and pans. In addition, the frequent play with light and shadows boosts emotional situations of the characters and enhances how they are perceived by the audience. The lack of sound enhances moments when sound is utilized. Overall, Bergman has manipulated elements of cinema in Silence to perfection as he leaves a brilliant cinematic experience for the audience. These three films are perfectly summed up with the fourth film, which serves as a documentary for the Trilogy, by Vilgot Sjöman (I Am Curious Yellow and I Am Curious Blue) who served as intern during the 50s for Bergman. In the end, I appreciate these films as they develops an understanding of why Bergman belongs with the cinematic geniuses of all time such as Antonioni, Chaplin, Clouzot, Fassbinder, Fellini, Godard, Kiarostami, Kieslowski, Kurosawa, Lang, Powell, Pressburger, Renoir, Truffaut and many others.
Rating:
Summary: Three Brilliant Cinematic Experiences by Bergman...
Review: A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman probably considered one of the best cinematic trilogies ever, if not the films alone are considered to be some of the best film ever made. Criterion gives this trilogy an appropriate treatment as they release all three films together with a documentary. Through a Glass Darkly is the first installment of Bergman's Trilogy that takes place on an island off the coast of Sweden where a family is having a vacation at their summer home. The father, David (Gunnar Björnstrand), has recently returned from one of his many trips and his closest family is present. His family consists of his daughter Karin (Harriet Andersson), who is struggling with a mental illness that is gradually getting worse, his son Fredrik (Lars Passgård) who is in the middle of his scholarly diversion, and Martin (Max von Sydow) who is Karin's husband and a medical doctor. As the siblings rediscover the family home, they recall blissful moments from their childhood, however, the happiness brings back a strong sense of melancholy that threads their memories. These depressing memories of an absent father and his shortcomings as a care-giver have resulted in deep scars in the sibling's psyche. Reminiscence of their agonizing past affects Karin's mental health as it is deteriorating at a much faster pace, which brings the family members regret and grief. This then causes anguish among all the present family members as they are all affected by Karin in one way or another. Through a Glass Darkly is the beginning of a trilogy where grief and pain commence, which will be followed by Winter Light and Silence. Bergman demonstrates a thorough understanding of the human consciousness as he directs Through a Glass Darkly where he dissects the social structure of a family and its affects on its members. This results in an outmost brilliant cinematic experience. Winter Light is the second film after Through a Glass Darkly. Pastor Ericsson (Gunnar Björnstrand) is suffering an enduring cold and he must hold mass for an ever-shrinking congregation as he is facing a spiritual crisis of his own. After the mass, Pastor Ericsson attempts to withdraw due to his cold, but is confronted by Jonas Persson's wife. It appears that Jonas (Max von Sydow) is suffering from severe anxiety and depression. However, Pastor Ericsson is inept in helping Jonas's emotional distress and instead addresses his own divine doubts about God. The pastor is also pondering his current affair with Märta (Ingrid Thulin) that he is thinking of ending, but Märta insists that they should continue to see each other. As a result, Pastor Ericsson is meditatively squeezed in between God and Märta as he has difficulty deciding on what he wants. He desires Märta's love as he knows it offers him comfort on a daily basis, but it goes against his ideal perspective of how to serve as a minister. Winter Light is not as grandiose as Bergman's earlier films (e.g., Naked Night and Seventh Seal). It is apparent that he has taken a new path as he is directing this film in a much smaller milieu. The setting is a personal place where catharsis is permitted without interruptions as Pastor Ericsson is facing his own demons. Winter Light serves as an enlightening and purgative link between Through a Glass Darkly and Silence. In the end, Winter Light offers an ultimate cinematic experience for self-reflection as it opens doors where questions must be asked. Silence is the third film after the succession of Through a Glass Darkly and Winter Light. The sisters, Ester (Ingrid Thulin) and Anna (Gunnel Lindblom), are stranded in a foreign city with Anna's son, Johan. Ester is a neurotic over-achiever that often attempts to look at the rationality of things and Anna is a careless thrill-seeker that acts on her impulses. The two of them have unresolved issues that reach as far back as their childhood which have left them in an emotional turmoil. These issues cloud their judgment on how to approach each other as if they were lost within the emotional confusion caused by these issues. This confusion is left in a vacuum where their bitterness is growing in silence. Johan is placed in the middle of this silence as a compassionate shadow between the sisters, which encourages them to maintain a civil harmony. The sisters' only hope for healing is the innocence of Johan's curiosity which is untouched by the worldly cynicism that controls most of the sisters beliefs and values. Johan's innocence is full of acceptance, understanding, life, and love, which is something that Ester and Anna have difficulty in sharing. In addition, the silence between them sets their minds and thoughts pessimistically adrift and is elevated through their personal cynicism. Silence uses cinematography that is unmatched as it enhances emotional turmoil that the sisters are experiencing through the use of provoking camera angles, close-ups, and pans. In addition, the frequent play with light and shadows boosts emotional situations of the characters and enhances how they are perceived by the audience. The lack of sound enhances moments when sound is utilized. Overall, Bergman has manipulated elements of cinema in Silence to perfection as he leaves a brilliant cinematic experience for the audience. These three films are perfectly summed up with the fourth film, which serves as a documentary for the Trilogy, by Vilgot Sjöman (I Am Curious Yellow and I Am Curious Blue) who served as intern during the 50s for Bergman. In the end, I appreciate these films as they develops an understanding of why Bergman belongs with the cinematic geniuses of all time such as Antonioni, Chaplin, Clouzot, Fassbinder, Fellini, Godard, Kiarostami, Kieslowski, Kurosawa, Lang, Powell, Pressburger, Renoir, Truffaut and many others.
Rating:
Summary: "To Johan--words in a foreign language"
Review: As with Beckett's trilogy of novels _Molloy, Malone Dies and The Unnamable_ this trilogy of novels seems to imitate Baroque music in its structure--at the time, through Bergman's marriage with Kabi Laretei (sorry if this is misspelled), Bergman became even more interested in Baroque music, especially the music of Bach. Bach was a master of chamber music--that is, music with few musicians that give the viewer/listener a sense of intimacy. And the trilogy seems to have, in its three films, the three movements of a traditional chamber concerto. And Bach's music figures prominently in at least two of the films--in the first, with the soundtrack lifted from Bach, and in the last, with one of the few moments of communication centered around Bach's music. (I am not sure if the organ music in the second film is also Bach; it seems a reasonable hypothesis.) The trilogy represents a cinematic break for Bergman from the large, intricate productions exemplified by _Wild Strawberries_ and _The Seventh Seal_. But the trilogy seems to represent a transition for Bergman from problems of theology to those immediate problems people experience. This is the reason for the necessity of cinematic intimacy--to be close to these people's problems, one must first be close to the people represented. I have attempted, here, to avoid obscurities. The interpretation of such details has gone on apace, as with all Bergman's films. But these obscurities are often not too dificult to understand, as Bergman often uses the same themes of religion and despair in all his films. The point is that these three brilliant films represent a complete change in structure and technique for Bergman--he even began, here, to use more radical cinematic methods (an example is the revolutionary six minute close up on Ingrid Thulin's character in the misnomered _Winter Light_). The importance of these films from an historical standpoint is their evidence of a paradigm shift for Bergman, as discussed above. That, and their thematic genius.
Rating:
Summary: Criterion : you will buy this
Review: Beautifully packaged, with excellent features, the trilogy is pretty mind blowing in its bleakness and (deferred) promise of salavation. Take a quiet evening (preferrably in the Winter) and watch these three in reverse order (Glass Darkly is the least bleak, and most redemptive) to really get a handle on an important aspect of Bergman's work. Another triumph for Criterion's work.
Rating:
Summary: This Version Will Be Uncut
Review: Despite rumors to the contrary, the version of "Winter Light" included in this boxed set will be uncut and uncensored. The Criterion Collection is renowned for seeking out the highest quality uncut print of every film they release. If they can't get their hands on an uncut version, they don't release it. The rumor has been officially quashed by the Criterion representative as of a few weeks ago, and curious parties should check out the Criterion Forum board, and look under the Ingmar Bergman Film Trilogy list. Just thought you should have a second opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful DVD set - and completely uncut!!!!!
Review: Despite the comment of "a viewer", the disc of THE SILENCE in this set is completely uncut and full-length. Criterion's earlier laserdisc featured the shorter US theatrical version, but this new DVD edition is the complete, unedited, original version of THE SILENCE. The two scenes reinstated for this DVD involve Anna's rendezvous with the waiter. In one scene, we see Anna's son Johan looking through the keyhole of a door behind which are his mother and the waiter. Cut to a full frontal, waist-up, nude shot of Anna who walks towards the camera and over to the bed. This shot, lasting a few seconds, was absent from the laserdisc, but is present on this DVD and has been fully restored. Later in the film, we return to Anna and the waiter. This time, Anna's sister Ester enters their room to confront Anna. After Ester leaves, Anna now in tears wrestles with the waiter, struggles and eventually leans over the foot of the bed frame with the waiter behind her. The laserdisc also did not include the full length of this particular shot. In the new DVD, you can see the complete shot, lasting 23 seconds longer.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Films and Documentary, Stingy Extras
Review: I consider Bergman's work from this period (early 60s) to be among his finest, so I pre-ordered this set and have now watched all four (not three) DVDs. And I find that The Silence as presented here restores two of the Gunnel Lindblom-Birger Malmsten scenes, parts of which are absent from the Home Vision Cinema video, in case you were wondering. For the uninitiated, the trilogy is heavy stuff. If you haven't seen any Bergman, you might want to start with the Criterion DVD of Wild Strawberries and go on from there. As for myself, I'm always amazed at the consistency of Bergman's vision, the depth of the performances here, the beauty of the writing and complete mastery of light and sound. The cinematographic compositions, especially in Through a Glass Darkly and The Silence, are frequently awe-inspiring. The fourth DVD is entitled Ingmar Bergman Makes a Movie. It is a five-part documentary filmed by Vilgot Sjöman for Swedish television and it details the making of Winter Light, from beginning to end. Roughly 50% is made up of interviews with Bergman where he discusses the themes of the film, the challenges of bringing a completed script to the screen, his relationship and working methods with his cast and crew, and his reaction to critics (presumably Swedish) upon the film's premiere. The other 50% of the documentary shows Bergman and crew at work scouting locations, building the sets, selecting costumes for Ingrid Thulin and Gunnar Björnstrand, blocking, rehearsing and shooting an early scene in the film, later editing another scene, mixing the sound, then screening the finished product. It is an invaluable document for Bergman lovers and film students and I'm happy to have it in my collection. But I'm scratching my head over the lack of extras for the three feature films. If Wild Strawberries deserves one commentary, The Silence alone deserves THREE: one for background and critical exegesis, another for lighting and composition, and a third for camera movement, editing and sound. Peter Cowie gives us 10-minute overviews of the films, and they are helpful, but not really satisfying. There are American theatrical trailers and a mish-mash gallery of posters for the films from several countries (not Sweden or the Nordic countries, however). And if you're looking for comic relief, there are English-dubbed soundtracks for the films. No serious Bergman admirer will use them, but if your Pee-Wee's Big Adventure DVD is not readily at hand, try switching the soundtrack to the dubbed version, especially during some of the big emotional scenes. It's almost a sacrilege, but their crudeness and ineptitude will provoke laughter.
Rating:
Summary: Uncut version of The Silence
Review: Just received word from Jon Mulvaney at Criterion that the upcoming release of The Silence will be Bergman's unedited version of the film and not the compromised American edit. The same goes for the other films included in the box. This will be an astounding DVD set and I encourage all of you world cinema fans to pre-order it.
Rating:
Summary: DVD version worth the price and wait
Review: Of late, I have developed an interest in Bergman movies. I can't seem to get myself away from them, as the "artfullness" of Bergman's movies transcend time and even Bergman's weightly "popularity". When he was allowed to pursue his "art" by being given the "poetic license" of his popularity i.e. he could write, direct, attract stars that he wanted, I feel he produced what one would hope, all he was capable of as an artist.
Yes, this sounds grandiose on my part to give such an uninhibited glowing review of what would seem to be such stark movies. But folks, these DVD's are worth it, because the viewer is given the opportunity to see the behind the scenes making of the movies, and more than a peek at Bergman himself. Bergman appears to be an artist not afraid to look at himself beyond the curse of Narcissus. What he was able to see and show through these movies is remarkable.
I bought these DVD's with some trepidation, thinking that I may be pursuing my interest to nurture my proclivity to wallow in depressive affect or worse to try to in my older middle aged years imbibe as much art as I can tolerate as the trash that is produced and maketed by the media is exponential. I'm afraid to say that much of the "art" sits on my bookshelves or in a pile here or there, gleaned once and put away for another time. I could not do that with these movies, or any other Bergman DVD's that I have watched. I bring up the DVD issue, as the VCR versions are nice, but do not offer the "extras" of the DVD's i.e. interviews with Bergman, etc. I have VCR versions of some of his movies, but will buy DVD as well of some of them i.e. Persona when they are available. Enough said, anyone with an interest in Bergman should own this exceptional Trilogy plus "Ingmar Bergman makes a movie".
Rating:
Summary: DVD version worth the price and wait
Review: Of late, I have developed an interest in Bergman movies. I can't seem to get myself away from them, as the "artfullness" of Bergman's movies transcend time and even Bergman's weightly "popularity". When he was allowed to pursue his "art" by being given the "poetic license" of his popularity i.e. he could write, direct, attract stars that he wanted, I feel he produced what one would hope, all he was capable of as an artist.
Yes, this sounds grandiose on my part to give such an uninhibited glowing review of what would seem to be such stark movies. But folks, these DVD's are worth it, because the viewer is given the opportunity to see the behind the scenes making of the movies, and more than a peek at Bergman himself. Bergman appears to be an artist not afraid to look at himself beyond the curse of Narcissus. What he was able to see and show through these movies is remarkable.
I bought these DVD's with some trepidation, thinking that I may be pursuing my interest to nurture my proclivity to wallow in depressive affect or worse to try to in my older middle aged years imbibe as much art as I can tolerate as the trash that is produced and maketed by the media is exponential. I'm afraid to say that much of the "art" sits on my bookshelves or in a pile here or there, gleaned once and put away for another time. I could not do that with these movies, or any other Bergman DVD's that I have watched. I bring up the DVD issue, as the VCR versions are nice, but do not offer the "extras" of the DVD's i.e. interviews with Bergman, etc. I have VCR versions of some of his movies, but will buy DVD as well of some of them i.e. Persona when they are available. Enough said, anyone with an interest in Bergman should own this exceptional Trilogy plus "Ingmar Bergman makes a movie".
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