The Magician (1958 film)

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The Magician
Directed by	Ingmar Bergman
Produced by	Allan Ekelund
Written by	Ingmar Bergman
Starring	Ingrid Thulin Max von Sydow Naima Wifstrand Gunnar Björnstrand Bengt Ekerot Bibi Andersson Erland Josephson
Cinematography	Gunnar Fischer
Release date(s)	December 26, 1958
Running time	107 min
Language	Swedish
IMDb profile

Ansiktet (The Face or The Magician) is a movie directed and written by Ingmar Bergman. It stars Max von Sydow as a traveling magician named Albert Vogler. Reading reports of a variety of supernatural disturbances at Vogler's prior performances abroad, the leading townspeople request that their troupe provide them a sample of their act, before allowing them public audiences. The scientific-minded disbelievers try to expose them as charlatans, but Vogler has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Ansiktet is usually considered a minor masterpiece in the filmography of Ingmar Bergman although many consider it to be wrongly neglected.

The movie was partially inspired by a play by G.K. Chesterton called "Magic" which Bergman claimed to be a favourite of his. Bergman actually staged a theatre production of "Magic" in Swedish at one point. However, despite a few similarities between "Magic" and The Magician, they are not really comparable.

In Britain Ansiktet is known as The Face (Sw. Ansikte = face), in North America as The Magician.

Films by Ingmar Bergman

Crisis • A Ship to India • Summer with Monika • Smiles of a Summer Night • The Seventh Seal • Wild Strawberries • The Magician • The Virgin Spring • Through a Glass Darkly • Winter Light • The Silence • All These Women • Persona • Hour of the Wolf • Skammen • The Rite • The Passion of Anna • The Touch • Cries and Whispers • Scenes from a Marriage • The Magic Flute • Face to Face • The Serpent's Egg • Autumn Sonata • From the Life of the Marionettes • Fanny and Alexander • Karin's Face • After the Rehearsal • In the Presence of a Clown • Saraband