Cinema in Sweden has an extensive and interesting history. Although there have been numerous successful Swedish filmmakers, including Lukas Moodysson, Josef Fares and Maria Blom, the main focus of Swedish filmmaking belongs to Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman is arguably to most famous and honored filmmaker from Sweden. Born in 1918, he directed his debut film in 1945. His early works were mostly adaptations of existing dramas although he also produced original works. Bergman’s true career began in 1948 with the production of Fangelse, The Devil’s Wanton, in which he directed his own script
The 1950 film Sommarlek, Summer Interlude, put Bergman on the map as a respectable director. Following a few other films, Bergman created his first period piece Gycklarnas Afton, The Naked Night, which he drew from his influences of 1930s French films and German cinema
In 1955, Bergman began one of his most famous films Det Sjunde Inseglet, The Seventh Seal. This film, which brought Bergman international praise and fame, marked the turning point from a common romantic theme to the exploration of the relationships between man, God and death. Most known for the scene where a knight opposes death as a game of chess, this film won the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Bergman continued the theme surrounding death in his 1957 film Smultronstallet, Wild Strawberries
Bergman won his first Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for the 1960 film Jungfrukallan, The Virgin Spring. The film Sasom I en Spegel, Through a Glass Darkly, marked Bergman’s entry into his “chamber” style of photography which utilized up-close shots to dramaticize the actors’ facial emotions, a method which was practiced in many of his following films
The crowning masterpiece is arguably Persona, which was completed in 1966 following a period of intense meditation and examination. In 1969 Bergman completed his first color film En Passion, The Passion of Anna, and 1970 he released his first English-language film, The Touch
Bergman ventured into television in 1973 with the production of the acclaimed series Scenes from a Marriage. The small screen remained Bergman’s medium of choice and after a completing a number of productions released the Oscar- winning Fanny och Alexander, Fanny and Alexander. Bergman returned to television for good in 1984 with the premier of Efter Repetitionen, After the Rehearsal
Bergman announced his retirement in 1995, but returned to the industry in 1996 to shoot the television drama Larmar Och Gor Sig Till
Bibliography
Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2010, from Ingmar Bergman: http://www.ingmarbergman.com
Swedish Film. (n.d.). Retrieved April 8, 2010, from Sweden: http://www.sweden.se
No comments:
Post a Comment