The Ingmar Bergman Collection

 

 

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After much confusion, the long-awaited Bergman set has finally come out. You can disregard all the negative comments you may have read about faked aspect ratios, etc. Yes, MGM tried to pull a fast one on a couple of the titles in this box, but after being caught out, they did the right thing by pulling the box and waiting to issue an excellent set with transfers that easily match those of Criterion, Kino, etc. (Let's hear it for consumer power!) All the titles are now in their proper aspect ratio. The black and white transfers (Persona, Hour of the Wolf and Shame) are truly beautiful. These films have probably not looked this good since they first came out. The digital transfers for the two colour titles offer equally fine video and clear original audio. The disc of bonus materials is fascinating, with rare interviews with Bergman himself from 1970 and 2002. The bonus disc and the five individual titles also offer interviews with key Bergman players, including Erland Josephson, Bibi Anderson and the ever-insightful Liv Ullmann.
As for the films, they speak for themselves. If you still haven't seen the four sixties films in this box (the summit of Bergman's art in the opinion of many critics), here's a chance to get acquainted with some truly great late-20th century art. Forget about the bad press. MGM got it right this time.

This set only gets 2.5 stars on Amazon because when MGM first brought out the set, two
of the films were in the wrong aspect ratio. That brought a flood of (deserved)
one-star reviews. However, to their credit, MGM recalled the set, and put out
corrected versions. The new set, while not perfect, are generally very good to excellent
quality transfers of some of Bergman's most interesting, if variable work. There's also
an entire disk of extras which is worthwhile in itself.

My diary notes on the films;

Persona - Originally some the earlier Bergman films harder for me to get into,
because most of the Bergman I saw first were from late in his career
and far more 'naturalistic' - 'Fanny and Alexander', 'Autumn Sonata',
'Scenes From a Marriage' etc. I don't think I understood that for much
of his great career he was as much an experimentalist (at times) as
David Lynch, or Fellini, or Kubrick or Godard. Now that I understand
that, it's easier for me to get excited by the earlier experimental
work.

Also, with 'Persona' the experiment seems more subtle and complex than
in some of Bergman's other early work. The themes are right out in the
open but there's much less literalness in the questions. The whole FILM
is a series of questions, but posed in a poetic way - what is identity?
What is acting? What is film? What are the boundaries between people?
What is reality and what is a dream, both in this film, and in our own
experiences?

This is a haunting deeply disturbing work, and part of it's very
effectiveness is it's 'unexplainability', ala '2001' or a Magritte
painting. Like a Koan, it forces you to try and make sense of something
that has no simple answer.

On first viewing there were a few times when things felt a little on
the nose, or my feeling of 'huh?' was the bad kind, not the good one.

But this is a fascinating film, that combines some of the most truly
dreamlike sequences I've ever seen with what seems a conventional
narrative, only to curve in on itself into obscurity yet again. It is
ultimately the kind of puzzle that art does best - it makes you ponder
things both consciously and subconsciously at the same time.

The two lead performances by Bibi Anderson and Liv Ullmann are
extraordinary, and Sven Nykvist again creates a series of unforgettable
images (now with the wider palate that Bergman started towards in 'The
Silence' - more camera moves, more 'cinematic' angles.).

But the nexus of this film, isn't the acting or the photography (though
the film would fail miserably without both being great), this is a film
about the inside of the filmmaker's mind, and by extension the inside
of all of our minds as we fight to make sense of the lives we lead.

It also has the single most erotic scene where nothing physical happens
I've ever encountered. And it's that kind of paradox that 'Persona' is
all about. I know I will get more from repeated viewings. The film begs
for it.

It's also impossible to note how many films since have borrowed its
techniques and images. Indeed, after the rare moments I felt
dismissively 'we've seen this idea before', I'd realize 'no we HADN'T
seen it before Bergman made this film.

Shame - Dubbed a masterpiece by almost every critic I respect. I certainly thought this was a brilliantly
well made film, but one that didn't quite give me the kind of devastating emotional effect
experienced by so many.

In fact, going in knowing little about the film (I try to avoid reviews before I see a film),
part of what I liked about it must seem like sacrilege to most, who see the film as
completely, unbearably bleak. I may be insane, but I actually found a good portion of it
powerfully, blackly funny, in a sort of 'Dr. Strangelove', Roy Andersson, dryly Scandanavian
sort of way.

The surreal insanity of the behavior of the soldiers and officials around our normal
working-class couple seemed so exaggerated, almost Keystone Cops with guns, that
it DID seem effectively anti-war, but not in the way seen by those who cite it's unrelieved
depression and misery as being where the film gets its power.

That said, it certainly seemed to grow ever more 'real', and by the end felt truly dramatic
and haunting.

I wonder how I could so misread Bergman's intentions. Certainly, if we're supposed to take
the early to middle completely seriously and literally the film would work much less well for
me than it did, since the horrors these people are exposed to on a literal level seem like
nothing compared to the victims of 'real world' wars, where they probably would have been
dead very quickly.

Take this for what it probably is - an odd outlier opinion, and one that may be replaced when
I see the film again, which I look forward to. But then, hopefully the occasional outlier can
supply a useful alternate point of view.

Hour of the Wolf - This left me confused about whether it's a great film or merely an extremely entertaining one. As surreal and
enigmatic as 'Persona', but with a lighter touch, more of a ghost story of a kind. However, it has the same
self-reflective acknowledgment that you're watching a film, scenes that leave you wondering what's real
and what's a dream, etc.

The themes don't seem as deep as "Persona", but that doesn't stop this from being deeply absorbing. It's still
brilliant filmmaking, full of breathtaking images. And I have the feeling it will grow on repeated viewings,

A wife recounts the very odd series of events leading to her unstable artist-husband's disappearance when
they stayed on an almost abandoned island.

Some of the smaller roles are intentionally - but I found annoyingly -played over the top.

No question that this film was a serious influence on David Lynch.

The Passion of Anna - his film represents some remarkable changes for Bergman; using color
in as careful and striking away as had been using black and white, and
a looser, less astringent feel to the story telling (indeed, this was
the first film where he experimented with letting his actors
improvise). The film feels more human, the edges softer. On the other
hands, the themes are classic middle period Bergman - lies vs., truth,
hope vs. despair, etc. And on a plot level there are some interesting
echoes of 'Persona' in both its confused identities and Godard like
interruptions, but in a much subtler more smoothly integrated style.

I found the wonderful acting and fascinating film-making choices
overrode the problem of distance I feel with some of Bergman's early
and middle work. I always admire the films; the bravery, the acting,
the style, the deepness of their ideas, the complete lack of
compromise. But sometimes I just don't feel as drawn in on a visceral
level.

The story; four people on an island; an ex-criminal hiding from
society, an architect with disdain for humanity and his fragile,
insomniac wife, and their friend Anna whose husband and child died in a
car wreck which left her with a limp all end up having their lives
intertwine, leading to revelations and the stripping away of
self-delusions.

The title 'The Passion of Anna' was an invention of the US distributor,
over Bergman's favored 'A Passion'. This is a case where a wrong title
can seriously effect one's perception of a film, since Anna is really a
supporting character. Beyond this, 'A Passion' makes clear the fact
that all four characters in the film are working their way through
emotional destruction, as Christ went through physical destruction in
The Passion. Further, the only title on screen is 'L 162', Only one
professional critic I've read tried to make sense of the actual title's
meaning (his guess: A file number that one of the four characters keeps
various photographs, often of violence, under.)

The Serpent's Egg - While not a masterpiece, this is also far from the mess
most critics took it for. An intelligent failure (or modest success) Bergman looks
at Germany in the 20s as laying the groundwork for Hitler and the Nazis.

Liv Ullman is terrific, as always. And if David Carradine is only good, not great,
he certainly didn't deserve the critical attacks he received. The nature of his character
is a man so locked in passivity as to be enigmatic. You might not like that kind of
character, but it's certainly not the actor's fault for carrying it out well.

Yes, some of it is slow, and some a bit obvious, but those charges could also be
leveled against some Bergman films labeled masterpieces.

As a cautionary tale of where we were once before, and could end up again, I've certainly
seen far worse. It has some truly chilling moments. And I think seeing it again may reveal even more...

It's disappointing, because I have wanted these discs for so long. I would rate this a 5 for the content, and a 1 for the flub. This rating could change depending on how MGM handles the exchange.

For those who have received the set and are wondering about the exchange, the following is from hometheaterforum.com:

Statement from MGM Home Entertainment regarding the recall of the INGMAR BERGMAN COLLECTION...

"It has come to our attention that the transfers utilized for the release of Ingmar Bergman's "Hour of the Wolf" Special Edition DVD and "Shame" Special Edition DVD are not representative of the intended theatrical presentation.

"In order to provide customers with the best quality product available, we are recalling the product at retail and will be releasing both films in a 1:37:1 aspect ratio on April 20, 2004.

"The Ingmar Bergman DVD Collection will also be available on that date. MGM Home Entertainment always strives to provide the highest standard of product and customer care. For additional information or comments, please contact our customer service at 877/646-4968."

Calling the number gives a recorded message that an email should be sent to 4you@mgm.com, subject line Ingmar Bergman, text of email should have name address and contact phone & MGM will contact you about exchanging the disc.

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› See all 24 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

 

5.0 out of 5 stars MGM gets it right
After much confusion, the long-awaited Bergman set has finally come out. You can disregard all the negative comments you may have read about faked aspect ratios, etc. Read more

Published on April 24 2004 by Maurice Arcand

1.0 out of 5 stars Rain on a sunny day
(...)I already own most of these titles on vhs and had been dying to get a dvd copy with correct ratios and most importantly digital restoration to the picture. Read more

Published on Mar 22 2004 by E. Kim

4.0 out of 5 stars Wrong aspect ratio
In response to Mr. Bayer from Columbus (February 11, 2004), a lot of us who ordered the Bergman collection return it unopened because we don't want to take any chances. Read more

Published on Feb 24 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Look Before You Leap
I think that the majority of negative reviews about the Bergman set are a bunch of B.S. I've only found one reviewer-from Europe-who's actually opened the set and watched the... Read more

Published on Feb 11 2004 by Matthew Bayer

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything is ok now...
Thanks MGM and AMAZON.COM !!!I can't wait to see this great collection and all the amazing extras in it!Once you get into bergman there's no turning back... Read more

Published on Feb 11 2004

1.0 out of 5 stars Why Are You Still Selling This, Amazon?
Reports have it that only two of the films will be corrected by April 20th. That's Hour and Shame.

Reports also have it that MGM has also recalled these two films and the box... Read more

Published on Feb 11 2004 by Eduardo C. Dayao

1.0 out of 5 stars I am furious at both MGM and Amazon
I am a true-blue, dyed-in-the-wool Bergmaniac. I frequently check in to Amazon to see whether new DVD releases have been made of Bergman's films. Read more

Published on Feb 10 2004 by jeffrey4318

5.0 out of 5 stars Money Gives Message
MGM and Amazon get no dollars until April from me for this set that I've been waiting for months since it was announced! Thanks to all the reviewers saving me my money. Read more

Published on Feb 10 2004 by J. Newton

1.0 out of 5 stars MGM can't be bothered
Sad to see (too late, as mine's in the process of shipping) that I'm going to have to send this back and wait for the fixed version. Typical MGM B.S. Read more

Published on Feb 9 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars MGM RECALL
Because of the uproar over their criminal butchery of these films, MGM has announced a recall tonight (February 7th) of the Box Set (http://www.mastersofcinema.com). Read more

Published on Feb 6 2004

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