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Author Topic: A Filmspotter's Marathon of Filmspotting Marathons  (Read 75811 times)

Teproc

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Re: A Filmspotter's Marathon of Filmspotting Marathons
« Reply #320 on: November 29, 2016, 10:47:56 AM »
Glad you enjoyed your revisiting of The Killers 1SO, I might want to check out Pushover... at some point.  ::)

On to Bergman, which marks the end of the Adam & Sam era, now it's this Matty guy. I hear he's funny, we'll see.

Sommarnattens leende / Smiles of a Summer Night (Ingmar Bergman, 1955)



Adam & Matty's takes (starts at 37:47)

Up next : Ingmar Bergman. That'll be... fun ?

Indeed it was, to my great surprise ! I was weary of Bergman (this was my first exposure), and really I still am a bit because I understand this is somewhat of an outlier in his filmography, but I couldn't have asked for a smoother introduction. This is a farce (Matty even calls it a sex comedy which I believe is anachronistic but relatively accurate), reminiscent of La règle du jeu in two ways : it features high-class people spending time all together in a rural estate, and it's great.

The film is pretty clearly divided in two parts, with the first part introducing the characters and their various entanglements before gathering them all in that familiar setting, and of course hijinks ensue. It's a good sign that I'm not sure which half I like more. The first one focuses mostly on Fredrik Egeman (Gunnar Björnstrand), a cynical lawyer and his family... and his mistress Desiree, played by the delightful Eva Dahlbeck. I'm not familiar with the name so I don't know if she'll be coming back in this marathon, but I'd love to see more of here because she just pops off the screen here. Part of me wishes the whole film was about her adventures as a touring theater actress and her adventures with various lovers... but then the other characters prove to be more than worth it.

Perhaps the funniest is the military man who, as Desiree explains in the play, is the typical example of a man who can be manipulated through his sense of pride and honor. The joke Adam points out, which has him claim that he's fine with his mistress being approached but he becomes a tiger (great delivery on that) when it comes to his wife, after having claimed the exact contary earlier, is the kind of classic comedy that's simple but works great when it's done well, as is the case here. I'm a little worried that the rest of this marathon will focus more on characters like the son (who might be a Bergman stand-in ?), brooding and righteous, but in small doses it's fine, and his arc does lead up to another obvious punchline that is nonetheless very effective.

I could go on but you get the idea : this is not particularly original but the execution is basically flawless, up to the titular saying that frames the final act. There are hints of what I assume will be more present in the next films, notably in a scene that sees the countess confess her conflicted feelings towards her husband (and men in general) while almost, not quite looking directly at the camera while another character is looking at her. Adam mentions this as being a typical Bergman shot, and it does feel very distinctive and promising.

8/10

« Last Edit: November 29, 2016, 01:03:22 PM by Teproc »
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1SO

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Re: A Filmspotter's Marathon of Filmspotting Marathons
« Reply #321 on: November 29, 2016, 11:13:24 AM »
While I love nudging people towards Pushover, it stars Fred MacMurray, so...
Maybe when you're ready to re-evaluate his talent.

Teproc

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Re: A Filmspotter's Marathon of Filmspotting Marathons
« Reply #322 on: November 29, 2016, 11:18:23 AM »
While I love nudging people towards Pushover, it stars Fred MacMurray, so...
Maybe when you're ready to re-evaluate his talent.

From the title he sounds well-cast at least. :P
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MartinTeller

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Re: A Filmspotter's Marathon of Filmspotting Marathons
« Reply #323 on: November 29, 2016, 11:43:40 AM »
and his mistress Desiree, played by the delightful Ulla Jacobson.

Point of clarification: Jacobson plays Frederick's young wife. It's her only appearance in a Bergman film. Desiree is played by Eva Dahlbeck, who is a shining star in Bergman's comedies. You won't be seeing any more of her in this marathon, sad to say. The ones to keep your eyes out for are Gunnar Bjornstrand and Harriet Andersson, two of Bergman's best and most commonly used performers. Jarl Kulle (the "military man") will also pop up again for a memorable role in Fanny & Alexander.

I guess it's safe to say that many Bergman characters are "brooding", but they're usually not as pouty and petulant as young Henrik.

Most people are surprised by Bergman's humor, and you'll be seeing more of it. Although it must be said that two of the films in this marathon are utterly without laughs.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2016, 12:07:52 PM by MartinTeller »

Corndog

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Re: A Filmspotter's Marathon of Filmspotting Marathons
« Reply #324 on: November 29, 2016, 11:55:51 AM »
Smiles of a Summer Night is one I remember liking a great deal, but to be honest I haven't seen it in so long I can't recall much about it.
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Teproc

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Re: A Filmspotter's Marathon of Filmspotting Marathons
« Reply #325 on: November 29, 2016, 01:05:45 PM »
and his mistress Desiree, played by the delightful Ulla Jacobson.

Point of clarification: Jacobson plays Frederick's young wife. It's her only appearance in a Bergman film. Desiree is played by Eva Dahlbeck, who is a shining star in Bergman's comedies. You won't be seeing any more of her in this marathon, sad to say. The ones to keep your eyes out for are Gunnar Bjornstrand and Harriet Andersson, two of Bergman's best and most commonly used performers. Jarl Kulle (the "military man") will also pop up again for a memorable role in Fanny & Alexander.

I guess it's safe to say that many Bergman characters are "brooding", but they're usually not as pouty and petulant as young Henrik.

Most people are surprised by Bergman's humor, and you'll be seeing more of it. Although it must be said that two of the films in this marathon are utterly without laughs.

Corrected, thanks. Bjornstrand and Andersson were both excellent as well, so that's good to hear at least. And Bergman has other comedies then, good to know.

Petulant is the right word, because I really don't mind brooding all that much... I mean I like Tarkovsky, and there is certainly some brooding there too.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2016, 01:08:09 PM by Teproc »
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Junior

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Re: A Filmspotter's Marathon of Filmspotting Marathons
« Reply #326 on: November 29, 2016, 01:09:45 PM »
I need to branch out into the comedies from Bergman. I've liked his humor in things like The Seventh Seal and, of course, Fanny and Alexander.
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DarkeningHumour

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Re: A Filmspotter's Marathon of Filmspotting Marathons
« Reply #327 on: November 29, 2016, 01:21:26 PM »
You're already done with the noir marathon and onto another one ? Bloody hell.
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Teproc

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Re: A Filmspotter's Marathon of Filmspotting Marathons
« Reply #328 on: November 29, 2016, 01:40:23 PM »
You're already done with the noir marathon and onto another one ? Bloody hell.

It helps that the Bunuel marathon is stalling on the Adam & Josh front.
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chardy999

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Re: A Filmspotter's Marathon of Filmspotting Marathons
« Reply #329 on: November 30, 2016, 08:58:36 PM »
Most people are surprised by Bergman's humor, and you'll be seeing more of it. Although it must be said that two of the films in this marathon are utterly without laughs.

Winter Light, as good as it is, could ruin the greatest day.

It's a shame you won't see Harriet Andersson in Through a Glass Darkly.
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