The impression that Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman left upon Scandinavian cinema and culture will certainly never be matched. Bergman continues to stand as one of Sweden’s most prominent artists due to his work both behind the camera, and within the theater. The rich feelings and emotion that Bergman filled his movies with forced people to see past the mere spectacle of film, and look within the soul of an auteur whose spirit lived within his art. Ingmar Bergman, born Ernst Ingmar Bergman, was brought into this world on July 14,1918 in Uppsala, Sweden. His parents were Karin Bergman, a certified nurse, and Erik Bergman, a Lutheran minister. Bergman, along with his siblings, grew up in a home where they were engulfed in religious conversation
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While Bergman’s films spanned numerous themes, a majority of his work can be viewed as relationship dramas, which he was undoubtedly the master of. Torment, a 1944 film that was Bergman’s debut, is the perfect thematic example of his first era of work from 1944 to 1952. The dominant theme within the film is the torment that children go through in school, and the main character Jan-Erik clearly symbolizes a young Bergman who grew up under similar conditions. Bergman’s next era of film lasted from 1952 to 1955, with the focus of his movies being on marriage and the woman in the relationship. Smiles of a Summer Night is Bergman’s 1955 international success, which earned him a win for Best Poetic Humor and a nomination for the Palme d’Or at the Festival de Cannes. The film dealt with the theme of adultery, which was a topic that Bergman was quite familiar with at the time of the filming. Bergman often wrote and directed films that illustrated his own struggles in life, and this is most certainly true for his subsequent era of …show more content…
During this period of time, Bergman’s focus was upon spirituality, and specifically, “mankind’s search for God” (Matthews, “Concise Major 21st Century Writers”). The inspiration behind this theme comes directly from Bergman’s strict Protestant upbringing and the impression that it left upon him. Bergman’s finest cinematic achievement during this era was The Seventh Seal, a 1957 film that marked a turning point in his career. The Seventh Seal is a deeply theological film that centers on a chess match between a knight and the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague. The knight, having just returned from the Crusades, questions Death about the meaning of life, impending death, and the presence of God. Bergman’s personal search for God was boldly symbolized within many of his movies during this existential period of
While Bergman’s films spanned numerous themes, a majority of his work can be viewed as relationship dramas, which he was undoubtedly the master of. Torment, a 1944 film that was Bergman’s debut, is the perfect thematic example of his first era of work from 1944 to 1952. The dominant theme within the film is the torment that children go through in school, and the main character Jan-Erik clearly symbolizes a young Bergman who grew up under similar conditions. Bergman’s next era of film lasted from 1952 to 1955, with the focus of his movies being on marriage and the woman in the relationship. Smiles of a Summer Night is Bergman’s 1955 international success, which earned him a win for Best Poetic Humor and a nomination for the Palme d’Or at the Festival de Cannes. The film dealt with the theme of adultery, which was a topic that Bergman was quite familiar with at the time of the filming. Bergman often wrote and directed films that illustrated his own struggles in life, and this is most certainly true for his subsequent era of …show more content…
During this period of time, Bergman’s focus was upon spirituality, and specifically, “mankind’s search for God” (Matthews, “Concise Major 21st Century Writers”). The inspiration behind this theme comes directly from Bergman’s strict Protestant upbringing and the impression that it left upon him. Bergman’s finest cinematic achievement during this era was The Seventh Seal, a 1957 film that marked a turning point in his career. The Seventh Seal is a deeply theological film that centers on a chess match between a knight and the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague. The knight, having just returned from the Crusades, questions Death about the meaning of life, impending death, and the presence of God. Bergman’s personal search for God was boldly symbolized within many of his movies during this existential period of