Marie, the beautiful young ballerina, is near the end of her career. She is sad and alone (often by her own choice). One day a diary appears and she shares with us a summer when happiness finally came and then was taken away. She is such a charismatic character, full of the drive that makes her the master of her craft, and yet fragile as she develops a relationship with a star struck young man who just pops into her life. She is sought after and knows the power she has over men, knowing no fear when it comes to that. She is selfish and protective of her privacy and consumed by her dance (as she should be). There are two tales her. One is the flashback romance of the Summer Interlude and true love. The other is that she must come to grips in some way with the fact that like a mayfly, a ballerina has a short life. When one is through with that role there has to be something else. The last ten minutes of this film are so revealing. We think of Bergman as frightened and cynical at times, presenting life as a chore with little reward. His characters are often pathetic and deep. In this, I think he was at least showing an optimistic being in the face of great tragedy.
Review of Summer Interlude
