A Lesson in Love

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Audience Member A screwball comedy of remarriage (popular in Hollywood in the 1930s and 40s) is hardly something you would expect from Ingmar Bergman (especially prior to his great comic hit, Smiles of a Summer Night, 1955) â" but he pulls it off. With the help of witty stars Gunnar Björnstrand and Eva Dahlbeck (who later starred in that more famous comedy), Bergman keeps things as light as air, even as the onscreen events descend into chaos (as they always do in the screwball genre). Thatâ(TM)s not to say that Bergman (also the screenwriter) doesnâ(TM)t throw in a few philosophical barbs (because he does) but these are mainly in keeping with the primary themes of this genre: the needs and roles of men and women and the value (or lack of value) of marriage itself. I can see that the blu-ray boxset next turns to Scenes from a Marriage (1973) where Bergman undoubtedly shows us marriage through a less comic lens (we shall see soon) and there are traces of that view here too (Björnstrand offers the usual one-liners about marriage quelling passion). Bergmanâ(TM)s own marital life (five wives and numerous affairs) was anything but stable. Both husband and wife have extramarital partners as the film starts; but as is traditional, by the end, they will have found themselves back together and their relationship (if not the sanctity of marriage itself) reaffirmed. An enjoyable trifle from the great auteur. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member I suppose the right category for this movie would be romantic-comedy, but it's done so well by Ingmar Bergman and has so many nice touches, that it seems to be more than that. The premise is that after a gynecologist strays and has an affair with a young patient, his wife to go back to her old lover, and he wants her back. Eva Dahlbeck is great as the wife, and delivers empowering lines like "A woman wants to feel she's a woman - not a wife", and "A man can be immoral and he's only a 'he-man', but a woman who satisfies her instincts is a strumpet." Yvonne Lombard is very sexy as his mistress, and Andersson, who starred the previous year in the title role of 'Summer with Monika' as well as a bombshell in 'Sawdust and Tinsel', displays great range in playing his tomboy daughter who wants an operation to become a man so that she's not "dependent on a man". Gunnar Björnstrand is the gynecologist, and reminded me of Edward Norton, while Åke Grönberg plays their boisterous old friend who she goes back to. The story is cleverly told out of sequence in flashbacks, including Bergman taking his time in the middle of the movie to reveal to us that the woman he's met in a train car is actually his wife. The movie is light and has great dialogue, but at the same time has the touches characteristic of Bergman, and asks some deeper questions. Is 'the marital bed is the death of love', as the man says? Is to 'wallow in physical love to be like baboons', and do affairs burn out, eventually, into boredom? And lastly, as the teenage daughter talks to her grandfather in a nice scene, does God exist, and what does it mean to die? This movie has it all - a beautiful and talented cast, effortless direction, and a great script. Definitely recommended. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Strange to say but this could be my favorite Bergman - nothing like a typical bergman and don't get me wrong I love typical Bergman. But this was an unexpected charming delight Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member A step back after "Sawdust and Tinsel", but charming nonetheless, with top performances, as always, from Bergman regulars Gunnar Bjornstrand and the gorgeous Eva Dahlbeck. A rare Bergman comedy, with an even rarer Bergman cameo (look closely, he's on the train with his trademark bohemian beanie). Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member Even in comedy there's an insight into the psychology of couples. Smart stuff. It's Bergman so what do you expect! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member <a></a> <img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/stills/26724/original.jpg?1298125377" width="240" border="0" /> Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

A Lesson in Love

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