Autumn Sonata - Breaking Down Bergman - Episode #38

Pairing director Ingmar Bergman with actress Ingrid Bergman kept cinemaphiles talking, but the story behind Autumn Sonata is what has co-hosts David Friend and Sonia Strimban. The two discuss the director's intentions in this rare Bergman film which amplifies the damaged relationship between a successful concert pianist and her daughters.
Friend and Strimban are watching the career of the Swedish director from his first film to his last, in order, and discussing their observations. Visit the main channel for more details.
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#breakingdownbergman #ingmarbergman #livullmann #sweden

[@KinchStalker]

It may be due to personal resonance (I'm a foster child), but Autumn Sonata hits me emotionally like no other Bergman film. The climactic confrontation strikes me as possibly the best thing either Bergman ever did.

[@calvinlaw7790]

Just discovered this channel. Bergman is one of my favourite directors and this is one of my favourite films! Great work

[@breakingdownfilms]

Welcome to the channel! - David

[@JosephKulik1949]

Although I found your analysis here of
Ingmar Bergman's “Autumn Sonata” (1978) to be very edifying, as
well as entertaining, I must take issue with your oblique references
to Ingrid Bergman as a Hollywood actor. Ingrid was, in fact, a
Swedish actor who emigrated to Hollywood early in her career.
Although you might think that this is a trivial detail insofar as
Ingrid made most of her films in, or for Hollywood, I do not. As
someone who has viewed many Hollywood, as well as Continental
European films, I feel that Ingrid's European acting roots set her
quite apart from the typical superficial Hollywood acting of her
time,
In the 18 Ingrid Bergman films that I
have viewed, I saw an actor who had the unique ability to portray a
transformation of personality/emotion in the course of a film, and
sometimes within the same scene, unlike any other actor, male or
female, that I have ever seen. I myself see such a depth and breadth
of acting ability to be much more typical of European actors than
Hollywood actors, many of whom base their acting “ability” on
mere “sex appeal”. An extreme example of her ability to
transform a character is an early Swedish film, “A Woman's Face”
(1938). Another excellent example is in the TV movie “The Human
Voice” (1966), based on a 1938 one character play by Jean Cocteau.
Anther such excellent example is here in “Autumn Sonata”. Her
films for Roberto Rossellini in Europe even show more of her ability
to transform a character than do most of her Hollywood films.
Unfortunately, in my view, Hollywood,
in general, failed to plumb the depths of Ingrid Bergman's acting
ability, deciding instead to “pimp” her as more of a “sex
symbol”, based on her undeniable physical attributes.
It is in this context that I must take
exception to your indirect references to Ingrid Bergman as a
Hollywood actor. In fact, it would only be outside of Hollywood, as
in the Swedish production of “Autumn Sonata” that she could
display her full repertoire of Thespian skills so late in her career.
Ingrid didn't go to Sweden to make “Autumn Sonata” as a Hollywood
actor but, indeed, as a Swedish actor “coming home” late in her
career.
Having viewed 14 works of Ingmar
Bergman myself, I can assure you that I am a big fan of his as well.
However, I would not be surprised to learn that Ingmar wrote “Autumn
Sonata” specifically with Ingrid in mind. This film fits
hand-in-glove with the strongest aspect of her acting ability, amply
shown in the mother's transformation from a polite, cheerful,
civilized character in the early scenes, to a very emotionally
distraught, if not mentally unstable character in the climactic
scenes. Although Liv Ullman is a very good actor in her own right,
her filmography in no way shows this peculiar ability to “transform”
a character. As such, I would contend that the parallel
transformation in the daughter's character in this film would have
been impossible based solely on Liv's acting ability alone. I see the
great Ingrid Bergman “carrying” Liv Ullman through those
transformative scenes as the reason why Ingrid and not Liv got top
billing for this film, and why it was that Ingrid Bergman, and not
Liv Ullman who got the film awards for ”Autumn Sonata”. …
[e-mail]

[@ingsoc3125]

The release Criterion put out of this last year is an absolute must-own. It has a 3+ hour on set documentary included in the supplements, making it more than worth the money you spend.

[@jlent]

Autumn Sonata is the film a friend of mine told me after seeing she was no longer going to view anymore Bergman films because they made her went to commit suicide. I would guess anyone who had a troubled relationship with their parents growing up would be affected by this film, or perhaps run from it. On the other hand,I heard one witty complaint that Bergman, affected by what the press said about him, had made his first self-conscious "Bergman film" with Autumn Sonata. I'm very fond of it. Very straightforward, with few technical amazements.
On a personal note, I remember seeing it on opening night in NYC and walking out behind the actor David Groh, of Rhoda fame, and he was going on and on about how great Ingrid Bergman was. In his book, The Magic Lantern, Bergman (Ingmar) wrote about how difficult it was to work with her, about how her acting style was awash in 1940s mannerisms.

[@KosmosDream]

i just saw this movie the other day, i was wondering when you two would review it! thanks a million !!!! :-)

[@SleepTightEr]

My favorite Bergman. Thank you for these reviews :)

[@KosmosDream]

Some of both of your reviews are so good they should be on the special features of the movie. Like your review of Summer Interlude

[@aut1976]

To my opinion it is a more linear movie than you would aspect of Ingmar Bergman. But the way he uses the light made it very dramatic. I really like it.

[@sesemoz6823]

Content aside, why are you sitting like you are gonna talk to the camera while you always awkwardly turn your head and talk to each other?! Why it is like you are reading from a script?