“Saraband” is billed as the final film by Ingmar Bergman, the man with the best claim to the title of World’s Greatest Living Director. On the other hand, Bergman said he was quitting movies in 1982 with “Fanny &Alexander,” and he’s continued to direct things for television and write screenplays for an excellent series of autobiographical films, so he may not be finished just yet.
| Unsparing: A series of conversations, like clinical looks at human hostility, unfold in Ingmar Bergman’s unsparing sequel to “Scenes From a Marriage.” The acting is excellent, although overall the film isn’t as rich as some of Bergman’s latter-day scripts. (In Swedish, with English subtitles.)
Rated: R rating is for subject matter, nudity. Now showing: tk |
Bergman directed this one for TV, shot on high-definition video. It is instantly recognizable as Bergman, not merely because of the intensely tortured material but because it’s a sequel to one of his best known works, the 1973 “Scenes From a Marriage.”
The two actors (both longtime Bergman performers) who gave towering performances in that film return to their roles. We begin with Liv Ullmann as Marianne, sifting through photographs of her past and telling us about a visit she took to ex-husband Johan.
The film then unfolds in 10 distinct scenes, each playing out as a kind of musical duet. Marianne goes to stay with Johan (Erland Josephson) in his country house, where he is ailing and unhappy.
Although Marianne and Johan explore their past a bit, the film isn’t really about their marriage. Instead, we become involved in the story of Johan’s son by a previous marriage, Henrik (Borje Ahlstedt), who’s now 61, widowed, and living for free in the guest house. He’s apparently always supported his musical career by sponging off his father.
Henrik shares the guest house with his daughter Karin (the luminous Julia Dufvenius), whose future as a promising cello player is threatened by her father’s possessiveness.
This is an Ingmar Bergman movie, so nothing here is going to unfold happily. The promise of a mellow visit from Marianne begins to shred as the days pass.
Each scene is lucid, almost clinical. Bergman puts human beings under a microscope and locates their most hostile hidden motivations. Conversations that begin with politeness can erupt in revelations of long-held bitterness or outright contempt.
The script could easily be performed on stage, and it has the feel of a theatrical piece; Bergman has bothered with very little cinematic fuss, except to serve the actors with as simple a set-up as possible.
Ullmann and Josephson are very good, but one wants to know more about their characters somehow. “Saraband” feels less dense than some of Bergman’s recent scripts, such as “Faithless,” which was well-directed by Ullmann. But it’s admirable that at age 85 he still isn’t backing down from the more uncomfortable aspects of being alive.
Erland Josephson and Liv Ullmann star in “Saraband.”
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