Summer Interlude

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A R This movie is spectacular in two regards - the visually stunning shots throughout, and the lead actress' incredible performance. The visuals are consistently beautiful, but they go beyond that and really transport you to the feeling of a place. Meanwhile, the lead actress is completely mesmerizing - I could not take my eyes off her from the first scene. She is charming and believable all the way through. The dialogue is also delightfully strange and poetic at times (though it's hard to know how much is lost in translation). That said, the overall narrative and pacing made it hard for me to be invested in the plot. Additionally, with the exception of the uncle, Marie is the only fleshed out character - everyone else, even Henrik, felt like part of a set. Perhaps that can be explained away by the POV nature of it all, but still, it's hard to care about a romance when half does not feel like a complete character. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/23/23 Full Review Christopher B Criterion have released another top notch transfer of a Bergman film that is beautiful to see on blu-ray! The film is classic Bergman, full of utterly depressing and bleak visuals and messages and at the same time very touching moments full of happiness are also seen throughout the film. A beautiful setting really sets the mood of the film and the landscapes and cinematography are so beautiful they really transport you there! The characters are immersed in this natural beauty and themselves beautifully brought to life through both the actors playing them as well as the writing. Their dialog is razor sharp and features Bergman's thoughts and beliefs dealing in life, death and of course religious overtones. This is a profound work that is as touching and happy as it is devastating and isolating. Another essential watch from the master of Swedish film, Ingmar Bergman! Highly Recommended! Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 12/03/22 Full Review Audience Member "Summer Interlude" is characterized by a perfect balance between idyllic minimalism and impending melodrama; through the construction and maintenance of such a tone the film succeeds exquisitely at depicting the tender purity of a first romance. The seasons shimmer and fade in relation to the arc of innocence cherished and then lost, bringing us all back to that time in our lives when the approach of adulthood briefly glistened with the simple optimism of childhood. Rightly regarded as Bergman's first mature work, we are captivated by the quiet elegance and somber foreknowledge inherent in his vision. Although less spellbinding than Bergman's greatest works, "Summer Interlude" is refreshingly free of his characteristic cynicism, leaving us moved by a drama evoked through compassion rather than anger. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Maj-Britt Nilsson stars as Marie, a star ballet dancer, who receives a package that unsettles her on the eve of opening night of a major performance. When a power outage causes dress rehearsal to be called off, she takes the opportunity to take a ferry to a nearby island where a flashback ensues. We see her younger and happier, beginning a summer romance with Henrik (Birger Malmsten), a rather sullen young man whose parents are divorced and who lives with an elderly and mean aunt. The cinematography here, by Gunnar Fischer, is gorgeous and the feeling of summer (its radiance and peacefulness) shines through. The young lovers spend an idyllic couple of months on the island where he lives and she is staying with her creepy lecherous Uncle Erland and sad neglected Aunt Elisabeth. As in other Ingmar Bergman films of this period, the dialogue is fresh and frank, talking of sex but also about death, god, relationships, culture, and the future. As the summer ends, we learn why Marie has become lonely and bitter in the future, despite her career success. As we dip in and out of the flashback, Marie meets Uncle Erland on the island, now both much older and we learn about the mysterious package and its import. After she returns to Stockholm (presumably), we see her with her new boyfriend, struggling to commit to him - a legacy of those earlier days - but there may be hope for the future. Nilsson's performance her is very strong - her joy is infectious in the early days and her sadness later is palpable. Bergman's investigation of memory as an island that we visit that can haunt our present is a compelling metaphor. Recommended. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member Without exaggeration, one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen. First summer love has never been so perfectly captured in a story. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member "Summer Interlude" is an early Ingmar Bergman film. The story focuses on a ballerina who reminisces back to a Summer 13yrs prior where she fell in love with a young man while spending the Summer on an island with her aunt and uncle. It is a romantic film, but features the darkness typical of Bergman. The cinematography is gorgeous as usual for a Bergman film. This is a complex, yet rewarding film that I definitely recommend for fans of Bergman. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Summer Interlude

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