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Post by Eva Yojimbo on May 19, 2020 1:29:16 GMT
Ingmar Bergman's my second favorite filmmaker behind only Hitchcock and I've seen almost all of his films. I can't quite remember when I saw his Faith Trilogy, probably ~10 years ago like yourself. At the time, I remember thinking they seemed like preludes to the, IMO, better "chamber" films that came after like Persona and Cries & Whispers, but they've stuck in my mind a lot over time. The Silence is an especially powerful film, almost reminiscent of The Shining in the way it makes use of its setting, but its horrors are far more human than supernatural. Winter Light has also stuck with me as perhaps Bergman's film that most vividly recalls the spiritual austerity of Dreyer of Bresson, perhaps most reminiscent of Bresson's Diary of a Country Priest. Through a Glass Darkly is, IMO, the least of these films, perhaps only because it's the most conventional. It's still an extremely moody pyschological drama, but I don't feel like it goes as much for the metaphysical aspects as the latter two. Still, they're all powerful in their own way, and even though I still prefer Persona and C&W, these are still absolutely worth seeing by cinephiles and anyone who's interested in the depiction of faith and religion on film. Interestingly, Bergman is also my second favourite director of all-time, only behind Luis Bunuel. I read an article recently that Bergman was often called "Protestant atheist". I am not surprised as I never saw cultural richness depicted in his movies as I would in films of Catholic filmmakers. But I believe none of the filmmakers were as able to depict psychological aspects of disturbed human minds as was Bergman. I was introduced to Bergman by a friend who believes Persona is the greatest movie ever made. I myself came to highly appreciate Persona, which I believe is my second favourite Bergman film after Wild Strawberries. I think we've chatted about Bunuel before too; he's definitely in my top 10 (though it's been so long since I updated my list I can't be sure specifically where I'd rank anyone anymore except for my top ~5 or so). Yeah, Bergman was always almost exclusively interested in individuals and characters rather than sociology, and for people who prefer their art to have a more social component I can see why they'd prefer a filmmaker like Bunuel, who was just as interested in history and class as he was in religion and psychology. Bunuel also tended to be "cooler" than Bergman in terms of tone, meaning he kept a more distant, objective perspective while Bergman's films were always intensely personal. Persona was a weird film for me because I remember seeing it as a young cinephile and I just didn't get it all. By the time I rewatched it in my 20s I knew instantly it was a masterpiece and one of the best films ever made. I wrote a really, really long review/analysis of it back in the day. If you'd like to read it I might could hunt it down (my old reviews are kinda scattered around). The Seventh Seal is my favorite Bergman, probably because I saw it at a time in my life when I was having my own crisis of faith and it resonated with me on a deeply personal level. I also love that film's expressionistic aesthetic. Persona is my #2 Bergman, and Fanny & Alexander probably my #3. Wild Strawberries and Cries & Whispers are close for my #4. The latter is also personally meaningful because I know what it's like to take care of someone who lives with excruciating chronic pain.
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