Through a Glass Darkly (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Through a Glass Darkly | |
|---|---|
 The original Swedish movie poster. |
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| Directed by | Ingmar Bergman |
| Produced by | Allan Ekelund |
| Written by | Ingmar Bergman |
| Starring | Harriet Andersson Gunnar Björnstrand Max von Sydow Lars Passgård |
| Music by | Erik Nordgren Johann Sebastian Bach |
| Cinematography | Sven Nykvist |
| Editing by | Ulla Ryghe |
| Distributed by |  Svensk Filmindustri Janus Films |
| Release date(s) | Oct 16, 1961 Mar 13, 1962 |
| Running time | 89 min |
| Country | Sweden |
| Language | Swedish |
| Followed by | Winter Light |
| IMDb profile | |
Through a Glass Darkly (Swedish: Såsom i en spegel) is a 1961 Swedish film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, and produced by Allan Ekelund. The film explores the subtle terror of schizophrenia, both from the perspective of the patient, and their family.
The title derives from a Biblical passage (1 Corinthians 13) in which seeing through a glass darkly refers to our understanding of God when we are alive; the view will only be clear when we die. The Swedish title literally reads as in a mirror quoted from 1917 års bibelöversättning (the 1917 Swedish translation of the Bible). The film is often considered the first part of a trilogy focused on spiritual issues (together with Winter Light and The Silence), as Bergman writes, "These three films deal with reduction. Through a Glass Darkly — conquered certainty. Winter Light — penetrated certainty. The Silence — God's silence — the negative imprint. Therefore, they constitute a trilogy." [1]
[edit] Synopsis
Four family members are vacationing on a remote island, shortly after one of them, Karin (Harriet Andersson), was released from an asylum. Karin's brother, an adolescent playwright named Minus (pron. Me-noose) (Lars Passgård), exhibits faint symptoms of the disease as well, and their father David (Gunnar Björnstrand), a writer, appears to take a perverse pleasure in observing the decline of his daughter, who, it is hinted, may provide the material for David's upcoming magnum opus. Although sane, David is shown as severely alienated from his own family; the final scene shows Minus shedding tears of joy because his father spoke to him briefly.
Karin's illness leads her to have visions ("through a glass darkly") which she believes will culminate in her seeing God, but she is terrified when "God" turns out to be a giant spider (an allusion to Dostoevsky's character Svidrigailov in Crime and Punishment who wonders of the afterlife, "But what if there are only spiders there, or something like that?").
[edit] Awards
This film won the 1962 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
[edit] External links
- Through a Glass Darkly at the Internet Movie Database
- Criterion Collection essay by Peter Matthews
- DVD review of film at Unspoken Cinema
- Analysis of Bergman's film trilogy
| Preceded by The Virgin Spring |
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film 1961 |
Succeeded by Sundays and Cybele |
| Films by Ingmar Bergman |
|---|
| 1940s: Crisis • A Ship to India • 1950s: Summer with Monika • A Lesson in Love • Smiles of a Summer Night • The Seventh Seal • Wild Strawberries • The Magician • 1960s: The Virgin Spring • Through a Glass Darkly • Winter Light • The Silence • All These Women • Persona • Hour of the Wolf • Shame • The Rite • The Passion of Anna • 1970s: The Touch • Cries and Whispers • Scenes from a Marriage • The Magic Flute • Face to Face • The Serpent's Egg • Autumn Sonata • 1980s: From the Life of the Marionettes • Fanny and Alexander • Karin's Face • After the Rehearsal • 1990s: In the Presence of a Clown • 2000s: Saraband |
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