Autumn Sonata [1978] [DVD]

While some of Ingmar Bergman's actors consistently gave great performances over a number of films, the greatest one-off performance in a film of his is that of his namesake, Ingrid, in this, her last film before she died of cancer.

Well into her seventh decade, Ingrid Bergman's beauty as an aging concert pianist, Charlotte, is striking, especially in contrast with her daughter played by Liv Ullman. Ullman's astonishingly attractive looks (which dominate such classics as "Persona" "The Passion of Anna" "Cries and Whispers" and "Scenes from a Marriage") are convincingly masked by the dowdy attire, owlish glasses and prissy manner which give great credibility to her depiction of a priest's wife, unloved by and resentful of her mother.

Unique among Ingmar Bergman's films, the principal relationship under examination is that of mother and daughter. The closest film in this respect is "Cries and Whispers" but there the presence and unflattering characterisation of the mother is principally designed to informs the tortured relationship between the sisters Agnes, Maria and Karin as we see the similarities between Maria and her mother. Although "Autumn Sonata" touches on many of Bergman's favourite themes, the mother and daughter angle gives a freshness to the film and makes the quality of the acting all the more treasurable.

"Autumn Sonata" tends to be forgotten in comparison with Bergman's other late period works, both those made in exile from Sweden and those made before such as "Cries and Whispers" and the trimphant home-coming "Fanny and Alexander" both of which richly deserved Oscars.

Although "Autumn Sonata" is not as technically adventurous or as stunning visually as others, Ingrid Bergman deserved more than the Oscar nomination she received and the awards bestowed upon the film as a whole were richly deserved. Furthermore, the use of the Chopin prelude, in revealing Charlotte's personality is perhaps the most successful use of music in Bergman's directing history.

The extras are spare as one has come to expect from Tartan. Best is the original trailer which manages to capture the film's essence without being sensationalist or sentimental.

Widely regarded as one of Ingmar Bergmans most powerful films, Autumn Sonata tells the story of renowned pianist Charlotte (Ingrid Bergman), who is invited to visit her daughter Eva (Liv Ullmann), after not seeing her for a very long time. When she arrives, she is surprised to see that her other daughter, Helena (Lena Nyman), is no longer living at a mental institution and is now under the care of Eva.

During the night, Charlotte and Eva spill out their feelings towards one another. The later it becomes, the more emotional they become, letting out anger, that has long been bottled up. Charlotte, who chose her career over the duties of being a mother, is forced to reconsider her life choices and think of the damage she had caused, from her utter indifference to her family's needs.

Ingmar Bergman brilliantly conveys troubled and dysfunctional families, most probably due to his difficult upbringing by his abusive father. This film has similarities with Cries and Whispers, but is also completely different. In Cries and Whispers, you see the emotions of the characters individually, only sharing with one another (for a short amount of time), right near the end and they almost immediately draw back. In Autumn Sonata, the characters share almost all the way through the film. It portrays the emotions, so that we, the audience feel more engaged with the characters.

One of my personal favorites of (Ingmar) Bergman's films, both Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullmann are equally incredible as the selfish mother and the emotionally scarred daughter. The brilliant screenplay, beautiful cinematography and astounding acting, makes this a disturbing and thought provoking masterpiece.

Special Features: Star and Director Filmographies, The Bergman Collection Trailer, Philip Strick Film Notes.

Video Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Feature Length: 90 mins
Language: Swedish, with a small amount of English
Subtitles: English
Certificate: 15
Region 0

Phew - what an experience! Watching this film felt like be being a relunctant spectator at a bull fight. The main protagonists, mother and daughter, become locked in a profoundly moving exploration of an emotional intensity that left me exhausted. The performances by Ullmann and Bergman are awesome, caught in uncompromising close-up and accompanied by a dialogue that is so convincing that I was left spellbound. Suffice to say that Bergman excells at these types of psychodrama. For me he is the archetypal genius at exploring human relationships - the illusions, evasions and lies that haunt our existence. There is one scene that captures the essence of this work, a moment when a past event is resurrected, that, in effect, lights the blue touch paper, and leads to an explosion of regret and incrimination. If you're looking for a bit of light entertainment leave this film well alone - but if you're interested in a great work of art that is unquestionably honest and free from the shackles of mawkish pretension then this film will be difficult to beat.