Ingmar Bergman (1918- ) Career Career Background Theater Cinema Career Phases Career Phases Central themes Central themes through major films Ingmar Bergman in 2005

Family Background Born in cultural town, Uppsala Born in cultural town, Uppsala Father Henrik Bergman, Lutheran pastor Father Henrik Bergman, Lutheran pastor Hedvig Eleonora Church, Stockholm Hedvig Eleonora Church, Stockholm “Oscarian Sweden” “Oscarian Sweden” Hierarchicies of authority Hierarchicies of authority Moral rigidity Moral rigidity Subjective regulation Subjective regulation Transition from Lutheran, conservative Sweden to secular, modern welfare state Transition from Lutheran, conservative Sweden to secular, modern welfare state Often described as “autobiographical director” Often described as “autobiographical director” Hedvig Eleonora Church, Stockholm Anna and Henrik Bergman in The Best Intentions (Den goda viljan, 1994)

Theater First work as director at amateur theater in 1938 First work as director at amateur theater in 1938 Regular direction of theater (2-3 plays a year) through 1995 Director of theaters in Helsingborg, Malmö, Gothenburg, Stockholm Bergman’s “Troupe” Bergman’s “Troupe” Pervasive influence of August Strindberg ( ) Pervasive influence of August Strindberg ( ) “Theater is my wife, cinema my mistress” “Theater is my wife, cinema my mistress” August Strindberg ( )

Cinema Script department at Svensk filmindustri 1943 Script department at Svensk filmindustri 1943 Sjöström and Stiller influence as ”artistic masters” at Svensk filmindustri Sjöström and Stiller influence as ”artistic masters” at Svensk filmindustri Directorial debut 1946 Crisis (Kris) Directorial debut 1946 Crisis (Kris) Career Production Career Production 91 Titles 91 Titles Averaged 2 films annually Averaged 2 films annually 48 international prizes 48 international prizes 9 Oscars 9 Oscars Bergman often speaks of his childhood fascination with filmstrips and shadow plays– a theme that turns up in many of his films

Career Phases Bergman as auteur Bergman as auteur Optimistic Challenges of 1950s Optimistic Challenges of 1950s Seventh Seal (1957) Wild Strawberries (1957) Subjective questioning Metaphysical grounding Love relationships Uncertainty and negativity Affirmation of vital experience through choice The Virgin Spring (1960) Pessimistic Challenges 1960s-70s Pessimistic Challenges 1960s-70s Persona (1966) Subjective questioning Failed affirmations Humiliation and suffering Tortuous relationships Obscured vision Affirmative Reassessment Affirmative Reassessment Fanny and Alexander (1982) Hopeful tone Art and dream as replenishment in the face of indifferent, cruel world Three generations on the set of Wild Strawberries, Ingmar Bergman, Bibi Andersson, Viktor Sjöströ, Sven Nykvist (l-r)

The Seventh Seal (Det sjunde inseglet, 1957) Antonius Block returns from the Crusades with squire Jöns Antonius Block returns from the Crusades with squire Jöns Journey theme Journey theme Opposed doubles Opposed doubles God/Death God/Death Material/Spiritual Material/Spiritual Youth/Old age Youth/Old age Light/Darkness Light/Darkness Male/female Male/female How can one do good, in a world of incomprehensible death and destruction? How can one do good, in a world of incomprehensible death and destruction? Godless world Godless world Annihilating death Annihilating death Possibility of material affirmation Possibility of material affirmation Cannes Jury Prize 1957 Cannes Jury Prize 1957 The face of death, Bengt Ekeröt Dance of Death

Wild Strawberries (Smultronstället, 1957) Victor Sjöström as Isak Borg Victor Sjöström as Isak Borg Strinbergian influence Strinbergian influence Inferno crisis Significance of dream Resonance of emotional experience Resonance of emotional experience Doubles Identification Ambivalence Shame and reconciliation Shame and reconciliation Private Public Ingrid Thulin and Victor Sjöström in Wild Strawberries

The Virgin Spring (1960) Medieval ballad as source Medieval ballad as source Shot in Dalarna, summer 1959 Shot in Dalarna, summer 1959 Religious conflict Religious conflict Strict, medieval Christianity Practical paganism Formal resolution Formal resolution Spare mise en scène Gistorical setting Kurosawa’s influence Themes Themes Nature Silence Ethical responsibility Moral duty Narrative vs. Analysis Narrative vs. Analysis Töre (Max von Sydow) and Karin (Birgitta Pettersson Märeta (Birgitta Valberg) and Töre

Persona (1966) An actress goes dumb and goes to an island to be cared for by a nurse An actress goes dumb and goes to an island to be cared for by a nurse From reality of relations to reality of representation From reality of relations to reality of representation Representation and emotion Representation and emotion Persona = mask Alma = inner soul Ambivalent relationship between ”appearance” and ”reality” Ambivalent relationship between ”appearance” and ”reality” Aggression Abandonment Art and self-reflexivity Art and self-reflexivity Is art an exercise in Vampirism? Does art make visible to us beauty we cannot otherwise see? Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullman

Fanny and Alexander (1982) Announced as last film of career Announced as last film of career Thematic summary Final Statement 5-hr. Swedish Television Premiere Christmas Day, 1982 Announced as last film of career Announced as last film of career The Little World of The Theater The Little World of The Theater Ekdahl family Affirmation of “flawed performance” The Cold World of Institutionalized Religion The Cold World of Institutionalized Religion Bishop Vergelius Rescue by Isak Alexander’s theatre

Conclusion Sources Sources Childhood Childhood Theater Theater Philosophical questioning Philosophical questioning Career Career Prolific Prolific Four phases Four phases Early entry into theater and film Early entry into theater and film Secular optimism Secular optimism Secular pessimism Secular pessimism Qualified affirmation of art Qualified affirmation of art “Scandinavian Cinema” “Scandinavian Cinema”