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PURE INGMAR

Today's NYTimes Best 1176 Film was Ingmar Bergman's

The Passion of Anna (1970)

Here is what kind of film this is. It is a tale of repression; of memory, emotions, thoughts, desires. It is a challenge to show this kind of feeling plane.

To elucidate, each of the actors come on and tell you about what is behind their character at various times during the story.

So theatrical. Addressing the audience. Hardly ever seen in films. It actually works.

There is also a parallel story which rages in violence while the slow, smoldering protagonists only inch towards their catharsis.

Wow. I haven't used that word since college.

There are no wasted scenes, so you have to make a lot of 'bridges' for yourself to navigate the territory of this bleak foursome made up of a brilliant Max Von Sydow, Liv Ullman, Bibi Andersson and Erland Josephson; the core Bergman repertory company.

I liked it a lot even though I was often reaching to get to the next point before I got the last one.

It is not accessible in one gulp. You will need a high tolerance for ambiguity.

I have plenty of that.

I will give it a 5 out of Netflix5. I like to be stretched.

Labels: bergman, best films