The master of Swedish cinema, Ingmar Bergman, passed away at age 89, leaving behind a legacy of over 50 films from a career spanning 7 decades. Known for his existential and soul-searching dramas, Bergman came to international notice with his 1955 comedy Smiles of a Summer Night, and solidified his status as a master technician two years later with his classic The Seventh Seal.
With a talented stable of actors including Liv Ulmann, Max von Sydow and Bibi Anderssen, Bergman was a critics and art-house favorite through the 1960s and ‘70s, winning an Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1984 for his semi-autobiographical masterpiece Fanny and Alexander.
Woody Allen, who emulated Bergman’s minimalist style in his 1978 drama Interiors, said of Bergman: “He was probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera.” His list of critically acclaimed dramas certainly gives credence to such a claim: Cries and Whispers, Face to Face, Shame, Autumn Sonata (with Ingrid Bergman), The Passion of Anna and Wild Strawberries, all either critics’ award winners or Oscar nominees.
During the heyday of the TLA repertory cinema, Bergman was a fan favorite, his films always drawing big crowds and sell-outs whenever they showed. Arguably more than any other director, Bergman epitomized the art-house auteur with his often gut-wrenching stories of relationships, and can be credited alongside Godard, Truffaut and Kurosawa with popularizing foreign films in the US. His passion was such that he never truly retired, directing Sarabande for TV in 2003 and continuing to direct plays and radio productions in his native Sweden up until 2004. He will be missed.
Bergman image from Saraband © Sony Pictures Classics
© TLA Entertainment Group
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