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For over 50 years, Ingmar Bergman produced ground-breaking works of cinema that established him as one of the world’s most acclaimed, enduring and influential filmmakers.

In the 1950s he firmly established himself at the vanguard of world cinema. Following his breakthrough success Summer with Monika (1953), Bergman continued with a series of ground-breaking productions, many of which are still considered some of the greatest films ever made.

Presented over six discs, Ingmar Bergman: Volume Two features eight landmark titles by the iconic filmmaker – presented together on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK. These include the Palme d’Or-nominated comedy Smiles of a Summer Night (1955), the introspective meditation on old age and human existence, Wild Strawberries (1957) and the iconic exploration of faith and death, The Seventh Seal (1957).

The films:
Summer Interlude (1951), Waiting Women (1952), Summer with Monika (1953), A Lesson in Love (1954), Smiles of a Summer Night (1955), The Seventh Seal (1957), Wild Strawberries (1957), The Magician (1958)

Extras:

• Audio commentary on The Seventh Seal by film critic and editor-in-chief of Diabolique magazine, Kat Ellinger
• Perfect-bound book featuring new essays by David Jenkins, Ellen Cheshire, Leigh Singer, Kieron McCormack, Philip Kemp, Jessica Kiang, Geoff Andrew and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
• Other extras TBC

What A Disgrace wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:40 pm I have a feeling that I'm going to sell the Criterion box set before I even watch it.

Ribs wrote: Thu Aug 05, 2021 6:28 pm Both sets are still more than one film on a disc. As the movies are for the most part not very long, I don't really see it as a serious issue beyond that David Mackenzie will do a generally better job regardless of the space available.

swo17 wrote:Does the Vol. 2 box include the Seventh Seal UHD?

Tuppence wrote: Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:07 pm This BFI set contains the SFI's 2K restoration of SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT, and it is substantially better than the Criterion presentation in all respects. Much sharper and more detailed, beautifully natural in its grain, and the optical transitions are much more stable than the older master. Really a shame Criterion screwed up and didn't use it for their own Bergman set (despite erroneously listing this very master in the accompanying book).

Rayon Vert wrote: Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:27 pm Are there other films in the set where the BFI is superior to the Criterion, or is the rest all equivalents?

Tuppence wrote: Thu Nov 11, 2021 10:26 pm

Rayon Vert wrote: Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:27 pm Are there other films in the set where the BFI is superior to the Criterion, or is the rest all equivalents?

The only other master here that Criterion elected not to use is for THE MAGICIAN. I haven't looked at it yet, but will compare the two side-by-side shortly.

For more than 50 years, Ingmar Bergman produced groundbreaking works of cinema that established him as one of the world’s most acclaimed, enduring and influential filmmakers.

Firmly established as one of cinema's most original and artistic talents by the 1960s, Bergman continued his explorations of the human psyche with a series of increasingly provocative and stylised productions.

Including the Oscar-winning rape-and-revenge drama The Virgin Spring (1960), his assessment on the purpose and promise of religion in the Faith Trilogy (Through a Glass Darkly, The Silence, Winter Light), and the landmark psychological drama Persona (1966), through these films Bergman challenged audiences to confront and consider topics seldom explored with such depth.

The films:

The Virgin Spring (1960)
The Devil's Eye (1960)
Through a Glass Darkly (1961)
The Silence (1963)
Winter Light (1963)
All These Women (1964)
Persona (1966)
The Rite (1969)

Extras:

• Newly commissioned audio commentary on The Virgin Spring by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson
• The Men and Bergman (2007, 52 mins): Eva Beling's documentary featuring Erland Josephson, Thommy Berggren, Börje Ahlstedt and Thorsten Flinck
• 100-page perfect bound book featuring new essays by Catherine Wheatley, Claire Marie Healy, Jannike Åhlund, Philip Kemp, Ellen Cheshire, Geoff Andrew, Andrew Graves and Kat Ellinger
• Other extras TBC
• Newly commissioned artwork by Andrew Bannister
• Limited edition of 5,000

Please note that our distribution rights mean that this release is only available to customers in the UK (and related territories).