Bergman first introduced us to Johan and Marianne in his 1974 masterpiece Scenes from a Marriage, one of the cinema’s most exacting dissections of our all-too-human failure to connect. Bergman and the sparkling Scandanavian actors Erland Josephson and Liv Ullmann took us through Johan and Marianne’s marriage, divorce, and post-divorce reconciliation. In the raze, they live apart, but detached obtain room for the bond between them.
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Three decades later, Bergman, Josephson and Ullmann have given us Saraband, a late-life gift. Marianne decides that even though she hasn’t seen Johan since the 1970s, it’s time to produce contact again. Johan has inherited money from an aunt, and lives in handsome isolation overlooking a lake. She literally wakes him with a kiss, but soon enough Marianne’s fantasy of an idyllic reunion evaporates as she gets drawn deeper into the power struggles in Johan’s family.
Henrik, Johan’s son, is staying in a nearby cottage with his daughter Karin. Both of them quiet mourn Anna, Henrik’s wife and Karin’s mother, who died two years before. Henrik, a music teacher, is preparing Karin, an accomplished cellist, for her conservatory entrance exams. The elderly Johan remains cold-hearted but charismatic (not unlike Bergman’s enjoy father) and one of the questions the movie explores is why people are so attracted to him. Henrik wants his father’s affection and acceptance, even though Johan refuses to give it, ostensibly due to some shrimp by Henrik when he was 19 years ancient. In a painful scene, Henrik goes to Johan to ask for money to relieve Karin, and in his 61 year aged face, we gaze the bewilderment of the boy who never came to grips with his self-absorbed father.
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For Karin, her grandfather is a counterweight to the suffocating embrace of her father. Karin struggles to figure out what she owes Henrik, what she owes to the memory of her mother, and what she owes to herself. She lets Marianne discover some, but not all, of the turmoil she’s going through. For Marianne, her attraction to Johan remains as difficult to pin down as it was when she was married to him. She’s always wanted something from him, but since she can’t explain what it is, she’ll probably never earn it.
The struggles between the characters rep played out over ten riveting scenes bookended by Marianne’s opening and closing monologues. Karin makes her choices. Henrik reacts. Marianne throws herself once more against Johan’s emotional aloofness. As he’s done throughout his bright career, Bergman brings it alive through artful dialog, perfect dramatic timing, and riveting cinematic composition. The characters are not always likable, but they are never less than absorbing.
The Criterion’s DVD includes a mini-documentary of Bergman making Saraband. We perceive the 87 year broken-down director skedaddle to the floor to illustrate some blocking, kid around with the crew, meander and prod his actors into region. It’s a treat to inspect him work. One wonders if any other director will ever elicit such an emotionally distinguished performance from Julia Dufvenius, the comely young actress who plays Karin. One also wonders why Bergman set himself through the grueling labor of making another film after he’d announced he was through.
Bergman spent his entire career obsessed by the difficulties of human connection. Apparently he wants to say one last thing about it, which seems to be this: after all the tears and shouting, all the posturing and cruelty, all the reaching out and pulling attend, this is what remains: marriages of accurate minds (the photo of Anna extinct in the film is a represent of Bergman’s huge treasure, his deceased wife Ingrid) ; the fraught ties of fathers and sons; memories of outmoded loves; what you give and come by from children; and the devolution of the flesh. None of it is easy, the master tells us, but all of it is valuable. In the destroy, it’s all you have.
What’s truly gloomy is that Bergman, sixty years after embarking on his cinematic inch, claims that he’s done. He did for film what Shakespeare did for theater, took it to current levels by expanding the language faded to portray the glories and follies of human striving. He will certainly be missed and he can’t be replaced.
But don’t explore Saraband for nostalgic reasons. It’s a intriguing, insightful film that deserves a site in the director’s canon. Saraband stands on its have, but it’s a deeper experience if you sight Scenes from a Marriage first.
“Saraband” is the name of a movement in a classical share of music by Bach. It is also the name of a dance and impartial like a section of music Ingmar Bergman weaves his legend to a obvious rhythm of emotions.
“Saraband” touched me on a deeply personal level. It is the greatest movie going experience of my life. Now I know what many of you are thinking. How dare you! What about the “Lord of the Ring” movies, the “Harry Potter” series, the “Star Wars” movies and of course “Grand”. How on earth could I possible interpret my reaction to dare say a great smaller film, a film that will go unseen by millions, yet alone, a Swedish film, is the greatest movie going experience of my life. Well you study I never really got caught up in the “Lord of the Ring” movies. I enjoyed them but I never read the books, nor have I ever read the “Harry Potter” books and I don’t intend to ever read them, I simply don’t have any interest. But what makes “Saraband”, for me, the ultimate experience is the fact it was the first film I ever saw by Ingmar Bergman in a theatre. It was such an experience to be able to go out and spy a movie by my celebrated director on the huge cover. That is my explanation.
Bergman originally released this film two years ago on Swedish television honest as he did “Fanny and Alexander” encourage in 1983. “Saraband” though is quite a cinematic event for film lovers. It is the first film Bergman has directed since 1984′s “After the Rehearsal” to be released in theatres. Is that not cause for a celebration or what?
The film is a sequel to Bergman’s 1974 masterpiece “Scenes From A Marriage”. It is divided into 10 chapters and tells the legend of Marianna (Liv Ullman) meeting Johan (Erland Josephson) 30 years after “Marriage”. It is explained that Marianna simply had a sudden hurry to visit him. Could it be as she grows older she wonders about what her life could have been like? Maybe. So the two meet as it turns out to be one of the most joyous moments in the film.
At this point it should be pointed out one doesn’t have to examine “Scenes From A Marriage” to be pleased or understand this movie. But I must admit it does attend. If only because to contemplate these characters on-screen is like visiting old-fashioned friends. When we first observe them meet our minds flood with images. We prefer the first film and the impression it left on us. If you haven’t seen that movie “Saraband” may have a harder time putting you under its spell.
As the film goes on we procure out Johan’s son, Henrik (Borje Ahlstedt) and his daughter Karin (Julia Dufvenius) are staying in his guest house. We also get out Johan and Henrik are not really on the best of terms. At most it is polite conversation whenever they are in the same room. Which is something they both try to avoid happening.
Henrik plays cello and has been teaching his daughter, who has a colossal gift for the instrument we are told. But their relationship is a weird one. After Karin’s mother died two years ago she feels she can not leave her father to go and leer because it would demolish him. It is feared he might waste himself. But Henrik is not letting his daughter live her acquire life. The two catch into an agrument which turns violent and suddenly I was thinking about the best friends and their marriage in “Scenes”.
“Saraband” begins to hiss the record of esteem, the past, and reconciliation between faded husband and wife, father and daughter and father and son.
I wrote a review a long time ago for “Scenes From A Marriage” in it I said the movie has an intensity that few films have matched. Bergman objective seems to throw these characters in our face as we witness them explode. I also felt it was the greatest film I had seen on the subject of admire and marriage. “Saraband” is the only film that comes closet to matching that film’s power.
I should though mention, in order to be attractive and balanced, that “Saraband” is not a better film than “Marriage” I seriously doubt many fans will reflect it is either. That is not to say “Saraband” is not a helpful film. Or a nice companion allotment to “Scenes”. Or a film without splendid dialogue, strong performances, and grand directing. It is a touching titillating film but it objective didn’t seem to hit me as hard as “Scenes” did.
Some of my approved scenes in the film include a conversation between Henrik and Karin about an agrument Henrik and his wife had. Another great scene deals with Johan and Henrik. Here we can peer what kind of relationship this father and son have. We can actually have the dislike and disgust between them. And finally a scene with Marianna and Karin, as Marianna describes Johan to Karin is quite attractive. In fact all of the moments in this film are wonderfully expressed by this cast and Bergman’s ear for dialogue.
Are their faults with the film? Yes. The relationship between Henrik and Karin seems very unique and deserved an explanation but is given none. Also information about Karin’s future is never given and we are left with that same murkiness with Johan’s future. Though all in all “Saraband” is a masterpiece that is dominated by strong performances. It’s emotions are actual and we bear what we are seeing. I can not recommend this film strongly enough.
Bottom-line: The greatest movie going experience of my life. Ingmar Bergman’s sequel to “Scenes From A Marriage” may not be as considerable as that movie, but so few films are. “Saraband” though exceeds as its bear film. It feels complete as is. It has mighty acting, strong directing, and some truly lovely speeches all site to a astounding gain by Bach.
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