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Ingmar Bergman, 1918-2007 (TCM Update)
The iconic Swedish director Ingmar Bergman died today, and his passing fills me with regret - and encouragement.
Why regret? Well, here’s where I admit more than a little sheepishly that I am not well versed in his films. Along with Francois Truffaut and Akira Kurosawa, he was among the foreign directors who most penetrated American consciousness, thanks in no small part to Woody Allen’s frequent quoting of him, verbally, visually or thematically in films like Interiors and Crimes and Misdemeanors. And yet, my viewing of Bergman’s work is limited to only two films.
Those are Persona and Fanny and Alexander, and they pretty well sum up the Bergman experience. The former, one of his earlier works, is filled with stark, haunting imagery. The latter, one of his last feature films, contains a depth of feeling and range of emotion that few, if any filmmakers could match.
In an age where the movie diet consists largely of empty calories for the short attention span, Bergman and his deliberately paced films are out of place. In a new introduction to his 70s interview with Bergman, Dick Cavett said something to the effect of, “If you saw Meet the Fockers in a theater twice, you’re probably not a fan of Ingmar Bergman.”
But Bergman’s passing also gives me encouragement in that I now have an ideal opportunity to explore more of his work. Mirroring the experience I’ve already had, I plan to start with an early film, The Seventh Seal, and a latter-day film, Cries and Whispers. The former was the film that made his name, with its famous images of a chess match with Death, and the latter was one his most acclaimed meditations on mortality.
I look forward to making these discoveries. Links to some of his most famous scenes, courtesy of the wondrous and ubiquitous YouTube, can be found here. Any other tributes and alternate viewing suggestions would be welcomed.
UPDATE: Looks like I can start my tribute earlier than I planned. As it often does when a noted filmmaker passes away, Turner Classic Movies is making a last-minute change to its schedule to pay tribute. Early Wednesday, TCM will play the Cavett interview with Bergman at 2:15 a.m., followed by The Seventh Seal at 3:15 a.m., and then the Cavett interview again at 5 a.m.
