Movie No. 105 (2013): THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY
Through A Glass Darkly (1961)
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Cast: Harriet Andersson, Max von Sydow, Gunnar Bjornstrand
In Swedish, with English subtitles
Having (just) been released from a psychiatric hospital, Karin is joined by her father, husband, and teenage brother in an island for a summer vacation to speed up her recovery. In this claustrophobic setting, no one seems to offer the support that she needs. Her father is a writer who, she discovers later, is taking advantage of her schizophrenia for his own literary means. Her husband, who is a doctor, can't do anything. Her brother is too much occupied dealing with the emotional tension of his (sexually) coming of age.These men simply watch as she descends slowly into the depth of madness.
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Cast: Harriet Andersson, Max von Sydow, Gunnar Bjornstrand
In Swedish, with English subtitles
The film was winner of the 1962 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.
Having (just) been released from a psychiatric hospital, Karin is joined by her father, husband, and teenage brother in an island for a summer vacation to speed up her recovery. In this claustrophobic setting, no one seems to offer the support that she needs. Her father is a writer who, she discovers later, is taking advantage of her schizophrenia for his own literary means. Her husband, who is a doctor, can't do anything. Her brother is too much occupied dealing with the emotional tension of his (sexually) coming of age.These men simply watch as she descends slowly into the depth of madness.
In the back cover of the Criterion DVD release of the film, Through A Glass Darkly is aptly described as one that "presents an unflinching vision of a family's near-disintegration and a tortured psyche further taunted by God's intangible presence."
The theme of the film is bleak, but its greatness lies in the way the director uses mood to communicate bleakness. The near-perfect performances of the actors also help conveying the message of the film. This is one of the greatest works of cinema.
Rating: 4.0/4.0
Date seen: May 1, 2013
Comments