Remembering Bergman: Five Masterpieces of Ingmar Bergman (For Me)

"I want very much to tell, to talk about, the wholeness inside every human being. It's a strange thing that every human being has a sort of dignity or wholeness in him, and out of that develops relationships to other human beings, tensions, misunderstandings, tenderness, coming in contact, touching and being touched, the cutting off of a contact and what happens then."

quoted in Ingmar Bergman Directs (1972) by John Simon.

Ingmar Bergman was born on this day (actually July 14th but it's still his birthday on the other side of the world), and he would have been 97 years old today. For some people, he may be unfamiliar, but in the cinema world, he was impalpable, his pictures speak volumes to us who wants to be reunited with faith.

But I think I should tell you about the reasons on why do I adore him so much.

The first time I ever heard of his name was through Annie Hall, a film by Woody Allen, there's a scene where him and Diane Keaton went to the cinema and missed the screening. They were going to watch a film of Ingmar Bergman and it was the psychological drama-horror, Face to Face.

At that time, I didn't know who he is, but I knew that Allen has a really big respect for him, so I decided to get into his filmography.

Since then, I was hooked. I was stunned.

His films were able to communicate unbridledly through my rigid soul, and at that time, I was in a time where my state of mind was not exactly as clear as now, at least. And because of that, I started to get into his world, merely as a devotee of him and his works.

So now, I think it's fitting to celebrate his birthday by listing my favorite films of him to reminisce about his groundbreaking career throughout the years:

1. PERSONA (1966)

This film was my first Ingmar Bergman experience, and I was mesmerised by the film. This film seizes the moment of characters' contradiction by how contrast they really are, and in the end, they project both personas of very different people with terrifyingly similar vibes and problems of them and wanted to show which one's going to grow and what path will that one has and vice versa.

It was masterfully crafted, perfect performances by Bergman's muses at the time, Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann. It's a literature, an art piece. Actually, a masterpiece to this day by Ingmar Bergman.

2. AUTUMN SONATA (1978)

Another masterpiece, but this one would scar you the most as it unravels the hostility and the unforgivingly dark side of family. Bergman captured the essence of those icy moments about family so perfectly. The film talks about God, dreams, the past and it was inevitable to not get your attention to it and think it to yourself. He did it again with my heart and my head officially. I felt that wounds again and it's not pretty, that's how strong Autumn Sonata did to me.

Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullmann as mother and daughter, electrifying performances that could benumb your sensitivity and break your heart to pieces through the facts and realisations.

3. SKAMMEN or SHAME (1968)

The fact that this film is criminally underrated is so wrong. Why?

Because this one, is slightly darker than some of Bergman's most known films. It deals with the intensity of war. This could count as the anti-war film, but not necessarily because it doesn't divulge and spoil the whole political extremism but rather the individual reaction, like the human beings' reaction to the war, and the fact that there's nothing they can do to defend their nations, it brings the worst in them.

The film is driven basically by the characters and the brutal tone in it is very divisive to people, yet it conceptualizes the whole game of psychological damages. Very brilliant.

4. CRIES AND WHISPERS (1972)

Another family drama by Bergman but this one is a doozy, trippy, and by far Bergman's commercially successful one.

It's about two sisters who come to visit their other sister who's dying. While that happens, the feelings that they've surpassed and suppressed when they grow up, came back to the surface. And it brings the hallucinations, sexual deprivation, loneliness, and the horror of it all. The film is a little slow-paced but the intensity will keep you in check.

What I love about this film is that, it's visually affecting and building the whole nuanced situation of the story. Its extraordinary way of storytelling makes this film a very haunting and chilling experience, followed by the great performances of the four actresses.

5. SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE (1973)

This is my favorite film of Bergman. EVER. Like, literally EVER.

It's basically the chronological order of marriage and relationship, how it crumbles down by affairs and lies, and goes back up again with the longing, and go back and forth with the contemplation of what their marriage would end or not, what their relationship would be like, would they stay friends or not, is the love still there or not; all the unanswered questions about being married.

Technically, this is a TV miniseries, but outside of Sweden, they release the theatrical version of the series. But, I recommend people to watch the TV version (about 5 hours but you'll survive because it's THAT good). It's that unbelievable for me. The performances of the two leads, Liv Ullmann and Erland Josephson, are thrilling, it stimulates your brain to the level of brilliance.