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Directed by: Ingmar Bergman Starring: Gunnar Björnstrand, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnel Lindblom, Max von Sydow I really think I am beginning to understand Bergman a little bit more now since this is my...fourth film of his, I think. Anyways, Winter Light focuses on a disillusioned priest and his coming to terms with his religiosity. The priest,played by Björnstrand, goes through his daily routines with almost a robotic rigidness, clearly the shell of a man. We later learn of his lover Marta (Thulin) and how he resists becoming attached to her. The breaking point for Tomas comes in a one-two punch of reading Marta's letter to him criticizing him and then failing to console a parishioner (Sydow) and his worries of nuclear destruction. The rest of the film is Tomas exploring his relationship with religion and, as a parallel, with Marta. I think one conclusion that Bergman draws is that regardless of the existence of a God, the one thing that can keep us going is connections with other human beings. This is explained in a beautifully delivered speech by a hunchback sexton. As the film ends, hope is very apparent in the person of Tomas and it fits well with the tone of the film. I thought this film was brutally bleak, almost to a point of asceticism. All of the sets are of plain stone walls with religious imagery adorning them. But don't let the hope at the end fool you, there is a strong sense of universal aloneness for man throughout the film. As for the acting, it is topnotch and Sydow turns in a great performance even with the scant amount of lines he is given. I think that if you've seen some Bergman films, then you know what to expect out of his troupe of actors--greatness. 5/5 RATING: 5 PROS: Bleak setting, deft acting CONS: Brutally depressing (might be a pro) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057358
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Mar 17, 2006 09:30
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 09:20 |
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