Smiles of a Summer Night: The Criterion Collection: Amazon.ca: Ulla Jacobsson, Eva Dahlbeck, Harriet Andersson, Margit Carlqvist, Gunnar Bj�rnstrand, Jarl Kulle, �ke Fridell, Bj�rn Bjelfvenstam, Naima Wifstrand, Jullan Kindahl, Gull Natorp, Birgitta Valberg, Gunnar Fischer, Ingmar Bergman, Oscar Rosander, Allan Ekelund: DVD

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Ingmar Bergman achieved international stardom with this classic melancholy comedy about the romantic entanglements of three 19th-century couples during a weekend at a country estate. It's exactly what you'd expect from a bedroom farce filtered through the ideas and eyes of Bergman: sharp, serious, pensive, austerely sexy, and ultimately sobering. Still, anyone who thought the Swedish filmmaker was incapable of a little fun has only to watch Bergman's orchestrations of these dangerous liaisons. Prosperous lawyer Fredrik (Gunnar Björnstrand) is married to the comely young Anne (Ulla Jacobsson), who (despite his best efforts) remains a virgin. Henrik (Björn Bjelfvenstam), Fredrik's grown son from a previous marriage, is desperately in love with Anne--and having an affair with the maid (Harriet Andersson)--despite the torturings of his pious soul. When actress Desiree (Eva Dahlbeck), Fredrik's former mistress, breezes into town, Fredrick pays her a visit, only to find himself jealous of her relationship with the piggish Count Malcolm (Jarl Kulle), who just happens to be married to Anne's best friend, the depressed and suicidal Charlotte (Margit Carlqvist); both women have a decided bone to pick with Desiree. All convene at the estate of Desiree's mother for a weekend of confrontations, illicit romance, dinner, dueling, and eventual pairing with the right romantic partner. Bergman winningly conveys the aspects of love among both the young and the old--those who feel they'll live forever and those whose impending mortality colors their actions. Absolutely brilliant and heartfelt, a true cinematic masterpiece. The basis for Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, of "Send in the Clowns" fame. --Mark Englehart

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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews

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4.2 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Bergman's romantic comedy, Mar 30 2004

By

Patrik Lemberg (Tammisaari Finland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smiles of a Summer Night: The Criterion Collection (DVD)

"Smiles of a Summer Night" is probably a reason why Bergman has made so few comedies. It isn't at all bad, though - I'd give it 9/10 stars for staying entertaining throughout, but had the script--or rather, SOME LINES--been adapted or dramatized a bit, this story could easily have been presented as another one of Bergman's philosophical dramas. Russian roulette, suicide, and adultery (mistresses and wives meeting under social circumstances) are a few things involved - this doesn't sound very much like 1955 comedy ingredients, does it? ...well, my laughs weren't always silent; at times I was highly amused, and I can see how he did pull off something new in cinema with this film, but Bergman certainly has more talent in making movies that can't be presented in their opening as "A romantic comedy". I doubt that this will disappoint any dedicated Bergman fan, though, or that this edition will disappoint any costumer; Criterion always does great restoration jobs.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet, good hearted, often funny sex-farce, April 14 2012

By

K. Gordon - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Smiles of a Summer Night: The Criterion Collection (DVD)

A bunch of upper class folk spend a weekend together at a country
house. Lots of bed hopping, betrayal, male macho posturing, and female
manipulation ensues.

Never for a second dull, but for me never quite rose to the heights of
Bergman's greatest works either.

Personally I found the Soundheim musical adaptation of this - 'A Little
Night Music' - more moving and human. There's something a bit distanced and
controlling about Bergman's approach which limits our chance to
empathize with these characters. I smiled a lot, but was left wanting
something deeper.

Sort of a fun one-night-stand of a film.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Film that made Ingmar Bergman, Dec 7 2005

By

"mibabur" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smiles of a Summer Night: The Criterion Collection (DVD)

Ingmar Bergman made many films, this one made him.

Although a marvelous achievement in its own right, this matchless comedy of manners, "Smiles Of A Summer Night" stands out as a landmark, recognized by many as such during the past 50 years. Most recently it made the All-TIMES 100 list of best films compiled by renowned film critics Corliss and Schickel for Times Magasine.

As late as in an interview recorded in 2003, Ingmar Bergman agreed to call "Smiles Of A Summer Night" a watershed in his film career. "After its success", he recalled "I had my hands free... I was able to do whatever I wanted to do." Truly enough, he went on to make, in immediate succession, such great films like "The Seventh Seal" and "Wild Strawberries".

And it was only the beginning of what best can be described as Bergmansk phenomenon. "The Virgin Spring", Through A Glass Darkly", "Persona", "Cries and Whispers", "Autumn Sonata", "Fanny and Alexander". One true classic after the other was bestowed upon us by this undisputed grandmaster of the world cinema during the course of his rich, fruitful career.

With superb acting, lively dialog and impeccable cinematography, "Smiles" leaves nothing to be desired. It seems to be a happy story, at least from the audience's point of view.

Still, the director recalls, in his published memoirs, how depressed he was being stuck with the script, how bad he felt during production, and how embarrassed he was to find out about film's great success at Cannes, where it won the Grand Prix. All this was unprecedented for the producers, the Svensk Filmindustri as they responded "like an old lady who never knew to waltz, now suddenly being asked by a variety of cavaliers", to quote Bergman.

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Most recent customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars One Star Is Too Many
There is humor, English humor and (apparently) Swedish humor (Bergman's humor to be more precise). It's true that compared with other Bergman's movies (where there is always... Read more

Published on Aug 13 2006 by E. Kozlov

5.0 out of 5 stars A rating of 5 and then some.*******
This film is perfect -- comedy, drama, you name it. Performances are all tight and Bergman weaves a marvelous tale of how people make fools of themselves at almost all times... Read more

Published on July 19 2004