Ingmar Bergman's Cinema

[domino harvey]

In summation, even suggesting that you might give up watching Bergman led to an entire page of people trying to talk you out of it. Take that as probably the best evidence we can give you to keep trying to connect, dda

[artfilmfan]

Before I discovered Ozu and Naruse, Bergman was my favorite director. I like the "cinematic" quality of many of his films. Some favorites are: Wild Strawberries, Smiles of a Summer Night, Scenes from a Marriage, Persona, and Summer with Monika.

[barryconvex]

I forget my first Bergman but I agree that Summer With Monika is a great place to get one's feet wet. I would go to Smiles of a Summer Night and Wild Strawberries from there. I've never understood The Seventh Seal. I'm not really sure why but it's the probably the only capitol "C" classic film that i can't at least see something of what others see in it. It just does absolutely nothing for me but i wouldn't say it's bad. No one will ever top Scenes From A Marriage for a depiction of a traditional male/female relationship. The Silence and Winter Light would be the next two on my list.

[dda1996a]

In summation, even suggesting that you might give up watching Bergman led to an entire page of people trying to talk you out of it. Take that as probably the best evidence we can give you to keep trying to connect, dda

It might have came off that that was what I was implying. I wasn't considering that especially as I've at least liked everything I've seen so far and love two. I was just trying to start a discussion and understand my issues with him, also because I'm considering getting this set. It's just that I expected so much of the last two I saw and was disappointed and since the last two years when my cinematic understanding has finally matured I barely need a starting point to get someone was why I came here. I'll give up on Antonioni before I do Bergman be assured

[bunuelian]

There's so much to explore in Bergman. As time goes by I find more and more to appreciate in his work. For example, the consistent troupe he worked with lends his body of work an interesting dimension as you get into the depths of things.

I'm not normally keen on big sets, especially since my wife has all but decreed that adding films to my kevyip is akin to setting money on fire (she's not a film fan), but this set has too many upgrades for me to ignore. I'm especially looking forward to seeing The Passion of Anna and Shame in upgraded versions.

[Perkins Cobb]

So it looks like This Can't Happen Here has been excluded not because Bergman disowned it, but because it's getting a theatrical re-release timed for the centennial.

[mteller]

"a strangely alluring collision of noir, propaganda, satire, and slapstick"

Interesting... I always thought the satire and slapstick was purely unintentional. Is there any proof that it was meant to be funny? The scene where the gun keeps getting traded back and forth is hilarious.

[RobertB]

I have not seen This Can't Happen Here, but it doesn't seem to have been an intentional comedy. In the book Bilder from 1990 he says it is one of the two films he is ashamed of or dislikes very much. The second one being Beröringen (The Touch). This Can't Happen Here had a plot too frivolously constructed, and Bergman wanted to do a more serious film about refugees from the Baltic states. During the first week of filming, Bergman asked the film to be cancelled, but it was too late. (All according to what he wrote in Bilder)

[domino harvey]

Give me a Waiting Women, which is me getting a drink somewhere else after the screening

[Gregory]

I would've thought the only time aquavit had ever been poured into pinot noir was by teenagers trying to raid the liquor cabinet as quickly as possible before the parents get home.

[fiddlesticks]

I think I'll pass on the Serpent's Egg.

[kekid]

I apologize if this has been mentioned before. But I was quite surprised to notice that "Face to Face" is not included in this set. It has appeared on DVD in region A, with a tantalizing comment that a longer version exists. So I was looking forward to both versions (the theatrical version and the extended cut). Instead, it is completely excluded. Does anyone know why?

[kcota17]

Paramount owns the rights and has licensed it out to Olive Films. I’m sure Criterion tried but was unable to obtain the rights. There’s no word of what Olive will do with the film yet but surely they’ll capitalize on this release and release it as part of their Signature Collection...

[Orlac]

It'd be nice if they could re-scan or time The Magician. The contrast is badly screwed up on the current release.

[ari101]

I apologize if this has been mentioned before. But I was quite surprised to notice that "Face to Face" is not included in this set. It has appeared on DVD in region A, with a tantalizing comment that a longer version exists. So I was looking forward to both versions (the theatrical version and the extended cut). Instead, it is completely excluded. Does anyone know why?

From Wikipedia.....

The film was conceived and produced as a four-part mini-series on Swedish television with a running time of 177 minutes. The episodes were entitled:

Uppbrottet (The Separation)
Gränsen (The Border)
Skymningslandet (The Twilight Land)
Återkomsten (The Return)

It was edited down for theatrical releases for running times from 114 to 135 minutes. However, the theatrical version premiered first. The film was later screened at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival held in May, but was not entered into the main competition. The television version aired in Sweden over four weeks in May and June of that year, and has not been released for home media.

[EddieLarkin]

DVDBeaver have started to go through the set and the first surprise is that Autumn Sonata uses a different transfer:

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/ingmar_bergman_blu-ray.htm

[domino harvey]

Thank God most of the films in this set are black and white...

[Cremildo]

Interestingly, From the Lives of Marionettes is presented in widescreen.

[domino harvey]

I was just about to post that after perusing the other available reviews. This was made for TV, the 1.66 is highly suspect

[colinr0380]

Looking at the other DVDBeaver reviews, it is relieving to see that the disc on Winter Light has all of Vilgot Sjöman's Ingmar Bergman Makes A Movie series moved on it. That originally has its own disc (and spine number) in the DVD set, but it makes most sense to be tied in with Winter Light as it is directly following the making and release of that film.

[EddieLarkin]

I was just about to post that after perusing the other available reviews. This was made for TV, the 1.66 is highly suspect

According to Wikipedia it played in cinemas also, so I don't see it being more or less suspect than Fanny and Alexander being widescreen.

[domino harvey]

Fanny was a TV Miniseries that was also prepared in an altered form for theatrical release by the director, in part to justify the budget for producers. Marionettes eventually received theatrical distribution because Bergman was already a name that got butts in seats at art houses, but it wasn't conceived for the big screen like Fanny

[charal]

Beaver’s review does list the 1:1.33 MARIONETTES as open matte which, if correct, should imply that potential future widescreen screenings would be inevitable. The questions to ask are: (1) Has the film been shown theatrically? and (2) Does the blu ray image look badly cut? If it looks good, that is all that matters. You could argue for both presentations. As a recent example compare Murray Lerner’s recent blu rays of TASTE and JONI MITCHELL AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT. The main film is 16:9 with interviews, etc..but an extra feature on both discs is the bare bones concert footage in the shot ratio of 4:3. Both look acceptable even though the original film is to be preferred (it being documentry footage to begin with).

[domino harvey]

More reviews are up. Sounds like, with the exception of Autumn Sonata so far, existing discs are duplicated in full with only a different menu screen difference

[EddieLarkin]

The Magician and Smiles of a Summer Night were far more in need of a new transfer (and in the latter case, one definitely exists!) than Autumn Sonata, so it'll be disappointing if it's the only surprise.