CENTENARY CELEBRATED BERGMAN'S CINEMA!

- Manoj Kulkarni

Ingmar Bergman..the master of Swedish cinema!!

Glad that this time our 'International Film Festival of India' ('IFFI') is paying tribute to (centenary celebrated) renowned Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman..by special retrospective on his cinema!

Ingmar Bergman dreaming filmmaking!

While studying Art & Literature..Ernst Ingmar Bergman spent most of his time in theatre. He wrote number of plays & opera. In 1942 he got opportunity to direct his own script 'Caspar's Death'. This drama was seen by members of 'Svensk Filmindustri' and they offered Bergman a job in Script writing. Here he married choreographer & director Else Fisher!

In 1944 Bergman wrote the screenplay of Alf Sioberg directed film 'Torment'..for which he also worked as assistant director! After it's international success in 1946 he got a chance to direct his first film 'Crisis'. Same year he wrote & directed romantic film 'It Rains on Our Love'! Then his notable film 'Fangelse' ('Prison'/1949) was based on his won story!

Pretty Maj-Britt Nilsson & Birger Malmsten in Ingmar Bergman's  

romantic & my favourite film 'Summer Interlude' (1951).

In 1951 Bergman made a very sensitive romantic film 'Summer Interlude'..which is my his topmost favourite film & I wrote a lot about this! Based on Bergman's story 'Mari' which is about a ballerina recalls her first love thirteen years prior a brief summer vacation! Maj-Britt Nilsson & Birger Malmsten intensely played their romantic roles in this! Gunnar Fischer cinematographed this film and Oscar Rosander did editing. All they made this film impactful! I was moved when I watched this film in my 'Film Appreciation Course' (1989). 'That was a beginning of new & great epoch in Swedish cinema' as European cinema historians stated!

Scene from Ingmar Bergman's 'The Seventh Seal' (1957).

Bergman got international recognition with his film 'Smiles of a Summer Night' (1955). He wrote it's plot in which couples switch partners on a summer night which was bold that time! This was shown in the 'Cannes Film Festival' and won 'Best Poetic Humour'! 


In 1957 Bergman gave two complex films. One was 'The Seventh Seal' on his play 'Wood Painting'. It showed protagonist plays game of chess with Death who has come to take his life! Bergman's famous actor Max Von Sydow came in this film and did great job. This film won 'Jury Prize' at Cannes! Another was 'Wild Strawberries' in which old professor recalls his past. Legendary actor Victor Sjostrom gave his last screen performance as this sentimental old! Bergman used his flash back technique (which started from 'Summer Interlude') lyrically and his famous actress Bibi Andersson appeared in it nicely!

Pretty innocent Birgitta Pettersson & others in Ingmar Bergman's 

great film with social issue..'The Virgin Spring' (1960).

In 1960 Ingmar Bergman made film with strong social issue.. great 'The Virgin Spring'! I admire this film a lot and always written about it's contemporary value! This film was based on a 13th century Swedish ballad 'Tores dottrar i Wange' wrote by Ulla Isaksson who also wrote the screenplay. It's about a father's revenge of the rape & murder of his young daughter. Bergman's actor Max Von Sydow did this job powerfully and pretty Birgitta Pettersson portrayed innocent girl very sensitively! This film won 'Oscar's 'Best Foreign Language Film' award!

Ingrid Thulin & Gunnel Lindblom in Bergman's bold 'The Silence' (1963).

After this Bergman made a film..
'The Silence' (1963) with bold plot & scenes. He wrote it's screenplay 
in which two sisters with different perspectives came on the screen. That was his focus on the two sides of woman! Ingrid Thulin and Gunnel Lindblom played these characters brilliantly in it! That time modern critics appreciated this cinematic treatment and this won 'Best Film' at '1st Guldbagge Awards'! Then his film 'Persona' (1966) also revolves around two women..in which one was nurse & another her patient. In this Bergman's favourite actresses Bibi Andersson & pretty Liv Ullmann acted superbly! In this his cinematic treatment went on psychological level!

Bergman with his favourite actresses..Bibi Andersson & Liv Ullmann 
during shooting of his film 'Persona' (1966).

Latter Bergman's brief but notable work found with some foreign countries' productions.. 
like American-West German drama film 'The Serpent's Egg' (1977). And then his famous.. 'Autumn Sonata' (1978) which 
was British-Norwegian drama film about celebrated classical pianist confronted by her neglected daughter. In this his most favourite Liv Ullmann acted with legendary beautiful actress Ingrid Bergman!

Legendary beautiful actress Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullmann 

in Ingmar Bergman's famous film 'Autumn Sonata' (1978).

In 1982 for some time he returned to his homeland and made film 'Fanny and Alexander' which was a period drama about two siblings & their large family! After that he wrote-directed several films and television specials too! At the age of 84 he directed last film 'Saraband' (2003) which was a sequel of Swedish television mini-series 'Scenes from a Marriage' which he directed earlier! In both the films Liv Ullmann was there!

Old Ingmar Bergman with camera!

In 2007 at the age of 89 Ingmar Bergman died on Faro Island where most of his films were set and filmed by him!


This is my Tribute to Bergman.. the master of Swedish cinema!!

- Manoj Kulkarni
  ['Chitrasrushti']