Ingrid Bergman had wanted to work with Ingmar Bergman – unrelated – for quite some time, and finally got her chance in her last film. The film came shortly after she found out she had cancer, and it was a film full of raw emotion, so it was understandable if she wasn’t so sure about it.
But she saw a lot of herself in her character Charlotte and, despite her battles with Ingmar, had a great time making the film, delivering one of her finest performances. It’s a powerful film and a strong wrap-up to her brilliant career. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we conclude our Ingrid Bergman series with Ingmar Bergman’s 1978 film Autumn Sonata.
We talk about the sense of stage theatricality throughout the film and why Ingmar structured his film this way. We look at the brilliant central performances of Ingrid and Liv Ullmann and debate if the film works the way it is or if it would’ve worked better if there was more showing and less telling. We talk about Sven Nyqvist’s beautiful cinematography, fulfilling the autumnal title with reds and oranges. And we look at why Ingrid was so keen to work with Ingmar and how she let him know.
It’s an interesting film with powerful performances that we relish, even if we don’t love the film. Still, it’s one people should definitely check out. So do so then tune in to this week’s show! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins.
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