Liv Ullmann in "Skammen" [1968 Sweden]

The late sixties were momentous times in Europe and the world over, and Ingmar Bergman had a message to tell. He needed to tell us of our collective shame - the shame in the way people are governed, wars waged supposedly on their behalf, and the shame of common peoples' lives devastated by careless decisions made behind those closed doors of power. Do we have to live in such a society, Bergman pertinently asks through his achingly beautiful film, "Skammen" [Eng. Title: Shame].

Vietnam was just one of the theatres of wars waged around the world at the time the film was made, and apart from the blissfully ignorant (who unfortunately number many), few held any real hope for a peacefully coexisting world. Dehumanising images were regularly beamed across TV sets and splashed on magazines, and Bergman was desperate to tell us how these essentially meaningless wars impact ordinary people. With this premise, Bergman creates a complex clockwork of events and characters whose mechanisation will guide the protagonists' behaviour, likening them to the hands of a clock - unable to change their destiny on their own. But this film is sadly even more relevant today, because we continue to repeat mistakes we'd hitherto sworn to reject, as though mutual destruction has become ingrained in our genes and we can't help ourselves killing each other.

Storyline:
Jan and Eva Rosenberg are musicians who've retreated to an island after the orchestra they were working with dissolved. There's been a war raging for over four years, and Jan and Eva have even forgotten what the war was all about. But then it suddenly arrives at their very own doorstep. Jan, an idealist, is self-centred and timid by nature, totally indisposed to confrontation of any type. Eva on the other hand, despite being deeply troubled by what's happening around her, is dedicated to her husband, and dearly likes to mother a child, one that Jan isn't too keen on. But she is also the one with initiative - the leader of the family. One day their farm is captured by the advancing 'enemy', who will then interview the couple and manipulate their words in order to make them sound as though they're sympathetic to their cause. But soon the enemy is forced to retreat, and the local generals look upon the couple as possible collaborators, and they're only saved from concentration camp by the intervention of their local Mayor. But the couple will realise the price for his kindness, after he starts frequenting their home with the aim of winning Eva's favour. Their plight and the film's message could be summed up in Eva's prophetic words to Jan during a scene, "Jan, Sometimes everything seems just like a dream. It is not my dream but somebody else's that I have to participate in. What would happen when the one who dreamt us wakes up and feels ashamed..?"

About the film:
Bergman made this film with a very tight budget, but it hardly shows. It may not have the grand scenes of a "Saving Private Ryan", but the horrors of war and its psychological impact on people is illustrated quite magnificently nevertheless - it may be intensely bleak, but that shouldn't put anyone off watching this gem of a film - it is cinema of the finest kind. With the superlative cinematography by Bergman-regular Sven Nykvist and sharp editing by Ulla Ryghe, not to mention the fine performances by his regular actors - Max von Sydow as Jan, Liv Ullmann as Eva, and Gunnar Björnstrand as the Mayor/Colonel, Ingmar Bergman has created another masterpiece that he should be anything but ashamed of. This beautifully crafted film is Highly Recommended Viewing..!

 

Amazon DVD Link

About the DVD:
This NTSC DVD is my recommended version, as it is a great transfer in its original aspect ratio, and is loaded with extras such as a Bergman featurette titled "Search for Humanity", an on-camera interview with Liv Ullmann, and an audio commentary in English by Bergman biographer Marc Gervais.

 

Liv Ullmann:
One of the most beautiful and elegant actresses in cinema, Liv Ullmann is as talented as she is insightful in the manner in which she delves into her character. Ms. Ullmann also considers this film to be her personal favourite among all her cine projects with Bergman, partly because the film tackles a subject dear to her - her dislike of war. She was also a spokesperson for UNESCO and had travelled to most of the world's hot-spots to propagate her message. In personal life, she was also partner to Ingmar Bergman when this film was made, and through whom she even bore a child. She holds Bergman in the highest esteem, and likewise I too hope to discuss more of her films in this blog.

 

Scene: Liv Ullmann
This happens at the very beginning of the film where the audience are introduced to Jan and Eva. Jan, a difficult and unsympathetic character is very well portrayed by Max von Sydow, and Eva is played by the magnificent and stunning Liv Ullmann. And she is stunning as ever even today!



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Ingrid Thulin in "Vargtimmen" [1968, Sweden]

Ingmar Bergman ventures into horror genre in this 1968 classic, "Vargtimmen" [Eng. Title: The Hour of the Wolf]. Versatile though the great man is, as ever, he doesn't for a frame forego his meticulous attention to detail. You don't have impressive special effects here - he instead gives us a master class in editing and cinematography which in itself is more than enough to trigger the audience imagination into conjuring up the ensuing horror.

The film can be seen from two angles - as a study of neurosis and the manner in which it could spread to people close to the person suffering from it, or as a study of the effects of an artist's torment. I personally prefer the former as it is illustrated magnificently on its own without the need for additional reference points from other works.

The hour of the wolf alludes to that time of night when death (or birth) occurs, as do nightmares for restless people. Landscape painter Johan relocates to a secluded island with his wife Alma - the only other occupants there are the owners of the island - Baron von Merkens and his family. Johan prefers solitude, and Alma, very much in love with her husband, agrees to the move - she is also pregnant. We observe their daily rituals and gradually get a picture of Johan - who surely appears to have a few skeletons in his closet. These are only revealed during the last half hour of the film as it explodes into a series of dramatic events. By the time the film finishes, we are left with our mouth wide open wondering what the hell just happened - as always - Bergman strikes us clinically giving us little time to prepare ourselves for what's about to happen.

The film is studded with impressive surreal imagery but don't get distracted by it - most of it is purely atmospheric, like the images of the raven and the flight of pigeons - that is cinematographer Sven Nykvist showing off and teasing us. What is impressive however is the manner in which Bergman builds Johan's character and gives us as a vivid portrait of his advancing mental illness. Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann who plays Alma is absolutely gorgeous in this film - she was also actually pregnant (with Bergman's child) during the filming - there must be something about pregnancy that brings out this special glow in women I suppose - you find it in her, and it is simply beautiful. The DVD extras include some insightful interviews with Bergman, Ullmann, and Erland Josephson about the film's making - simply precious and revealing. Needless to say, Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link




Compilation: Ingrid Thulin



Scene Guide:

• Troubled artist Johan notices a ghost from his past - Veronica Vogler, a married woman he once had a torrid affair with, turn up in the island where least expected, complaining about the marks he left on her the night before - she's apparently a relative of the island's owners. Veronica is played by a younger looking and sensuous Ingrid Thulin.
• A surreal scene towards the end where Johan sees Veronica 'rise from the dead', to taunt him, along with her decadent relatives.

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Ingrid Thulin in "Viskningar och Rop" [1972 Sweden]

Ingmar Bergman's visually stunning but disturbing 1972 drama "Viskningar och Rop" [Eng. Title: Cries and Whispers] won an Oscar for cinematography, but should have bagged a few more, direction included, for this is one of Bergman's finest ever films.

Agnes is terminally ill, and her younger sisters Karin and Maria have arrived to be by her side. As her pain and illness advances, so does simmering hatred and jealousy among the younger siblings resurface, until it boils over upon Agnes' death, but this very outburst also leads to some degree of reconciliation between the two, even if their inherent nature prevents the complete healing. Among these ladies in the mansion is also the maid Anna, who offers her unconditional affection to the dying Agnes. We get to know each of the characters through the course of the film, but some events are purposefully left shrouded in mystery. What we see however, is a family in turmoil, and despite themselves, unable to communicate and reach out to one another. What's mildly amusing is, for a man so gifted in his observation and interpretation of human behaviour, Bergman in an interview (among the DVD extras), candidly admits to his own failings as father and lover - suggesting no amount of wisdom will protect people from their own shortcomings.

Bergman gives us a masterclass in technical and poetic filmmaking through his draftsman-like precision. I particularly liked the way he neatly separated his characters' 'whispers', by fading in and out from a blank red screen. The music, the art direction, the cinematography, and the exemplary performances by all combine to make this film a haunting and vivid experience. Highly Recommended Viewing.

In the only nude scene in the film, the unapproachable and self-hating Karin asks Anna to help her change, after which she takes the extraordinary measure of mutilating herself, so that her husband would not dare touch her - and she looks at the aghast husband triumphantly even through pain. Karin is played by Ingrid Thulin.





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Rita Russek & Christine Buchegger in "Aus dem Leben der Marionetten" [1980 Germany, Sweden]

The great Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman made his 1980 gem, "Aus dem Leben der Marionetten" [Eng. Title: From the Life of the Marionettes] while living in Germany.

It is among his lesser known films, and also the most underrated. Perhaps because it is a departure of sorts from the customary delicateness with which he treats his subject. Here not only is he brazen, particulary screenplay-wise where the lading characters trade off verbal blows against each other, he even opens the film with a violent murder and rape. But that is all that is different - his amazing cinematic eye - the visuals, the cinematography, the sound, and not least the direction is as intact as ever. Even though most of the film is shot in black and white - only the prologue and epilogue are shot in colour, it is exquisite, timeless, and worthy of a reappraisal. If you love cinema and haven't watched it yet, you should!

Peter is a succesful businessman living with his beautiful fashion-designer wife Katarina, lovely house et al. They are childless, and fully focused on their respective careers. They are also in love, but their marriage is strained, and both have had fleeting affairs in the past. At the start of the film, we are shown Peter murdering a prostitute and analy raping her body. The rest of the film is a non-linear narrative, piecing-together the reasons for what he did using flashbacks and flashforwards. We study each of the main characters along the way - Peter, Katarina, Peter's mother, their psychologist, and a gay fashion designer who works with Katarina. The film tries to fathom the social, emotional and psychological reasons that contributed to his insanity that culminated in the murder. Beautiful Christine Buchegger plays Katarina, Peter's wife. The scenes were cut straight from my DVD, and the quality is very good.

Scene 1:
The film starts with Peter chasing and murdering the prostitute Ka, played by a young Rita Russek.







Scene 2:
This beautiful scene is a dream narrated by Peter to his psychologist. In the dream, he is with Katarina, and suddenly realises he couldn't make love even if he wanted to, and is mocked by Katarina.







Scene 3:
This happens just before the murder. The scene is over ten minutes long. The first two minutes is of Peter visiting the place where prostitute Ka also works. While he waits for her, we are shown a well-lit peep show of one of Ka's colleagues - unfortunately the actress name is uncredited. Peter is allowed to stay with Ka for the night after they close. After getting to know her a little, he hesitates to do what he came there to do, and wants to leave, only to realise they have been locked inside by the guard, for insurance reasons, until the following morning.





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