Scenes from a Marriage - 1973 ****

'Scenes from a Marriage' is many things. Bleak, desolate, depressing, positive, hopeful, heartbreaking. But the thing that stands out most about it is how powerful and interesting it actually is. Weighing in at nearly three hours long, and originally broadcast as a mini series, it could be accused of being heavy. 

Ingmar Bergman again focuses on the emotions and character development as opposes to a strong narrative. 

It's intense, and the whole film revolves around a couple's disintegrating marriage. Things start off well, with the couple seemingly happy, but then put of the blue the husband returns from a trip to Europe to say that he has fallen in love with a younger woman. He leaves to be with her, then comes back six months later.

Both characters are incredibly unlikeable, the husband, thoughtless and chauvinistic and the wife, pathetic and desperate. (When the man goes to leave his wife, instead of begging her forgiveness, he insults and criticises her and lists all the reasons he hates her, dhe in turn apologises to him and offers to help him pack!)   

Whether the film reaches a conclusion is really up to the individual viewer. The pair don't seem to be able to live with or without each other which seems to make the whole film utterly pointless anyway. 

Wild Strawberries - 1957 **** 1/2

On contrast to the last Bergman on my list (Cries and Whispers) this was absolutely superb. The acting was stunning, the cinematography was divine. For this film, Bergman was the master.

The film follows an old academic who goes on a journey to collect his doctrote accompanied by his daughter in law and an assortment of characters. Along the way he revisits his past and experiences scenes from his life in amazing detail.

To me, this movie had a hint of 'A Christmas Carol' about it. It was a story of regret, of past moments, and of excepting your choices in life. The main character spends several scenes watching his past life without anyone being able to see him (as in ' A Christmas Carol' ) and also watches himself woo his first love (again, as in CC). What I loved about this film was how some of the actors play more than one part, many in the present scenes also play characters from the academic's past and the fun part is being able to spot them.

I really enjoyed this film, and there were several scenes (including his dream at the beginning) which have not left my mind since I saw it. Amazing.

Cries and Whispers - 1972 **

What a disappointment. And very strange because this is the second colour Bergman film I've seen and the first was equally dark and unexciting.

On a contrast, all the black and white ones were amazing that I have seen so far. This film was based around illness, and infidelity, and negativity and so it's hardly something you might want to watch if you were hoping for something happy.

It has the same sad and melancholy tones as 'Autumn Sonata' (which was the other colour one I saw). Maybe his films are meant only for b&w.

I couldn't enjoy it, maybe for it's dreadfully depressing storyline.