BERGMAN'S ROMANTIC 'SUMMER TRILOGY'!

Lars Ekborg & Pretty Harriet Andersson in a romantic scene from 

Ingmar Bergman's Swedish Film 'Summer with Monika' (1953).

While facing the hot summer remembered renowned Swedish Filmmaker Ingmar Bergman's three warm (!) romantic films with the backdrop of Summer season. We can call this Bergman's Summer Trilogy! Made in decade 1950s..it's first my most favourite 'Sommarlek' was a sensitive love story and second 'Sommaren med Monika' was bold and third 'Sommarnattens leende' was with offbeat/odd subject!

Handsome Birger Malmsten & Pretty Maj-Britt Nilsson in love

scene from Bergman's Swedish Film 'Summer Interlude' (1951).

In 1951 Bergman made 'Sommarlek' -Summer Interlude on the story he wrote 'Mary'! It's about a ballerina who recalls her 
first love during summer vacation. That passionate romance ends tragically and..
later reflects in her ballet. Handsome Birger Malmsten & Beautiful Maj-Britt Nilsson intensely portrayed their romantic lead in it! This film was cinematographed by Gunnar Fischer and edited by by Oscar Rasander. And Erik Nordgren gave lyrical music for beautiful ballet dance sequences in it! Almost three decades are over now..when I saw this film in my 'Film Appreciation Course' at FTII..it's expression of love touched my heart!

Complex scene of Bergman's film 'Smiles of a Summer Night' (1955)

Then in 1953 Bergman directed film 'Sommaren med Monika' ('Summer with Monika') on the novel wrote by..
Per Anders - Fogelstrom. It's an unusual love story in which a pair of teenagers make adventure, carefree romance and at the end get a divorce because of their different nature! With good looking Lars Ekborg Pretty gorgeous Harriet Andersson played the role of Monica in it and became a star! At that time this film became controversial due to it's depiction of nudity (which is normal nowadays). Same year same thing happened with another Swedish film 'One Summer of Happines' made by Arne Mattsson. It created an image of Sweden as a sexually liberated country!

Renowned Swedish Filmmaker Ingmar Bergman with his camera!

And in 1955 Bergman wrote and directed a film 'Sommarnattens leende' ('Smiles of a Summer Night'). In this son and young stepmother secret love was shown; but the basic plot was couples change their partners on a summer night! Again this film was cinematographed by Gunnar Fischer & edited by by Oscar Rasander. Gunnar Biornstrand, Biorn Bielfvenstam & beautiful Ulla Jacobsson played the central roles in it! This film was screened in 'Cannes Film Festival' and 'Time' ranked it one of the 100 greatest films! Latter with an inspiration of this film..renowned American filmmaker Woody Allen made a movie 'Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy' (1982). 

A Tribute!!

- Manoj Kulkarni
['Chitrasrushti']