Bergman Island (2004)
**** (out of 4)
Brilliant documentary/interview with the legendary Ingmar Bergman has the director talking about a wide range of subjects. Topics include his childhood, his movies, religion, death and various demons that haunt him. For the most part the documentary takes place on Faro Island, the place the director would call home. Having gone through many of the director's most famous works, I've often asked myself what type of mind it would take to create such emotional pain and beauty on the screen and each time I see the director interviewed I can see why his films were so special and why no other filmmaker could have made them the same way. Bergman once again packs a real punch with the various answers he gives to the questions being asked. Perhaps I'm wrong but I can't help but feel that he was a troubled and haunted man up until the day he died and some of the pain is on full display here. This includes his talk about being close to his mother as well as the his feelings on the possibility of seeing his dead wife Ingrid again in some sort of after life. His thoughts on religion are quite deep and interesting as are various things said in regards to his films and how they came to be. The stuff dealing with SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE and CRIES AND WHISPERS are the most interesting. Fans of the director or those just getting into his work will certainly be entertained by this thing as you really can't take your eyes or ears off the director.
**** (out of 4)
Brilliant documentary/interview with the legendary Ingmar Bergman has the director talking about a wide range of subjects. Topics include his childhood, his movies, religion, death and various demons that haunt him. For the most part the documentary takes place on Faro Island, the place the director would call home. Having gone through many of the director's most famous works, I've often asked myself what type of mind it would take to create such emotional pain and beauty on the screen and each time I see the director interviewed I can see why his films were so special and why no other filmmaker could have made them the same way. Bergman once again packs a real punch with the various answers he gives to the questions being asked. Perhaps I'm wrong but I can't help but feel that he was a troubled and haunted man up until the day he died and some of the pain is on full display here. This includes his talk about being close to his mother as well as the his feelings on the possibility of seeing his dead wife Ingrid again in some sort of after life. His thoughts on religion are quite deep and interesting as are various things said in regards to his films and how they came to be. The stuff dealing with SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE and CRIES AND WHISPERS are the most interesting. Fans of the director or those just getting into his work will certainly be entertained by this thing as you really can't take your eyes or ears off the director.