1961 ‘Såsom i en spegel’ Directed by Ingmar Bergman
Karin hopes to recover from her recent stay at a mental hospital by spending the summer at her family's cottage on a tiny island. Her husband, Martin, cares for her but is frustrated by her physical withdrawal. Her younger brother, Minus, is confused by Karin's vulnerability and his own budding sexuality. Their father, David, cannot overcome his haughty remoteness. Beset by visions, Karin descends further into madness.
在黑暗中穿过镜子, 对镜猜谜, Som i et spejl, Сквозь тусклое стекло, Как в зеркале, A través del espejo, Aynanın İçinden, 거울을 통해 어렴풋이, Wie in einem Spiegel, Come in uno specchio, À travers le miroir, Сквозь темное стекло, 犹在镜中, Como en un espejo, Tükör által homályosan, Aynadaki Gibi, Als in een Donkere Spiegel, Jak w zwierciadle, Através de um Espelho, Като в огледало, 창문을 통해 어렴풋이, 穿過黑暗的玻璃, Крiзь тьмяне скло, Jako v zrcadle, Kuin kuvastimessa, מבעד לזכוכית האפלה, Detrás de un vidrio oscuro, Μέσα από τον Σπασμένο Καθρέφτη, 鏡の中にある如く, Prin oglindă
Sweden15
USA
FinlandK-16
FranceTP
Portugal
South Korea18
Netherlands12
Finland
France
Netherlands
Portugal
South Korea
Sweden
USA
Bergman relaxes a bit with this one and sticks to more easygoing topics like suicide, incest, mental illness, and hatred. Pretty breezy stuff.
After watching this, I was curious what the title referred to. Looking it up brought me to the Wikipedia article on the Bible verse in which it is contained, and I was genuinely moved by the beauty of the verse, so I thought I would share it here (editing out the chapter numbers and such):
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods…
I don’t know if Bergman intended for this to happen but at one point a character reached for their glass of water at the exact same time I did
"reality burst open, and i tumbled out"
didn't realize how much this affected me until i suddenly broke out in tears. one of the most potent bergmans i've endured yet
Fuck Robert Eggers, this is my Lighthouse (without ugly guys farting and jerking off, in short a pure disturbing perfection)
it's quite rare now that I give a five star to something on a first watch, but this is definitely going to be one of those rare occasions, emotional resonance being the main reason. I can't recommend this enough. Sven Nykvist once again amazes me behind the camera, I've spoken about the cinematography in Bergman's films before, but every single shot manages to elicit the powerful themes tenfold. Religion, sexuality, family dynamics and mental illness are all explored without fault. That being said, much like any Bergman, there will be imagery and dialogue that I have missed. Looking forward to rewatching when I feel like emotionally exhausting myself again, but this is top 2 Bergman for me so far.
Through a Glass Darkly is a movie which explores the nature of God, together with personal family interplay, in intensely troubling ways. Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, who’s clear methodology was never to release an unchallenging movie, this perhaps initiated his most demanding period. It contains a sufficient amount of philosophical dialogue and weighty symbolism and hints at the distinct conceivability of everything, while being fundamentally unfathomable, serving a higher purpose.
“Through a Glass Darkly” grapples with God and humanity using a sureness of hand that could only be managed by one as practiced in grasping for meaning as Ingmar Bergman.
Originally titled “The Wallpaper,” the film depicts a young woman who appears to speak to God in all of his many forms. Spider and brother. Protector and persecutor.
As reliable as Bergman is in quality, he is resolute in providing no answers to the many questions posed by his films. He also does not lie in saying that he possesses those answers them himself. He promises only a poeticism to the darkness.
God in “Glass” takes a role occupied by the demon in “The Exorcist” years later. He inhabits a…
Action! - of God and Man: Bergman and the Hopelessness Kind
Some films hit differently, depending on the occasion. Obviously, on my first watch, I adored this film, but this is yet another movie that has moved me both personally and as a filmmaker. This layered exploration of love, the extents one would go for their art, (repressed) sexuality, and mental illness. They are all first presented individually, but as the film progresses, we see them intertwining with each other.
You can tell Bergman is exorcising some demons, and in many ways, one can see the father as a stand-in for the director. A man who’s well known has a terrible relationship with his kids, putting his film career above…
"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." (1 Corinthians 13:12)
First part of the auteur's trilogy dealing with man's relationship with God. The sickness and the spider symbolizing our incapacity to relate with God appear as key elements for the first time. Bergman is one of the few directors that perfectly knew how to transform the landscapes into a character that speaks the unknown, in this case the sea. Isolation and confusion abound in that who is drunk and blinded by false hopes and equally false religions. A shocking conclusion that only a few will get the first…
