Winter Light

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dave s Tomas (Gunnar Bjornstrand), the pastor of a Catholic church in a small Swedish community, is having a crisis of faith, unable to come to terms with the existence of God in the world in which he lives. After failing to provide comfort to Jonas (Max von Sydow), a depressed parishioner worried about the threat of an atomic war, he turns his back on the only person who cares for him, Marta (Ingrid Thulin), a lonely schoolteacher. Winter Light is as somber and stark a film as Ingmar Bergman has ever created…and that's saying something. Beautifully shot by Bergman regular Sven Nykvist, Winter Light is filled with haunting images and insightful dialogue that will surely spark debate after the credits roll. Despite not receiving the critical accolades that other Bergman films have received, it remains one of his most memorable films. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review júlio a Eu sei que esse filme tem trocentas camadas....mas realmente não consegui me conectar a ele. Atuações perfeitas....muito muito dialogo sobre fé. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A film that lacks soul and questions a lot. At least it's a good drama. 4/10 Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review William L Winter Light is among the more 'pure' Bergman films. There are no distractions. The plot is cut-down and streamlined to bare essentials in a story that takes on themes critical to the director's total output - the practical balance between life, faith, truth, and order in an imperfect world. A aging priest, having become familiar with cruelty and despair, finds himself in a crisis of faith as he and those around him engage in strained debates on the nature of God and their own existences, particularly in the context of their own lack of influence over their own fates. Religion, long thought infallible, is instead depicted as a mental crutch to stabilize oneself against the crushing randomness and unpredictability of life; this small Swedish hamlet has virtually no faithful in it (which is part of where Bergman draws his greatest power from, the obligatory but insincere attempts by Björnstrand's jaded pastor to console others when he himself has barely a tenuous idea of what faith is anymore). Excessively bleak, almost to the detriment of the film, in that every character is at such a low point at the start of the film that there isn't much farther for them to fall over the course of the runtime. It's all anxious handwringing with stoic faces, but I guess that's the point. It's a classic piece on a universal theme, but it's hard to shake the feeling that if this film were released today it would be very easy to dismiss it as pretentious and simplistic based on its boldfaced nature. However, it's Bergman, and while he's hardly subtle in Winter Light, the final product is the furthest thing from weak. In fact, you should be prepared to get sucked down in an existential mire. (4/5) Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/16/21 Full Review scott s As a film lover and a minister, this film was fantastic! The struggle with your own doubts while trying to inspire hope in one's congregation can be a battle of the mind and soul that anyone can relate too regardless of religious affiliation or position. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member A haunting & mesmerizing film of a Country Priest who struggles deeply with his faith & identity. The film opens with his sermon which clearly demonstrates his pain & struggle. The film then delves into his past life & why he is the broken/fragmented minister he is today. Shot in the harshness of a Swedish Winter which truly looks blisteringly cold. Upon the completion of his film Director Ingmar Bergman asked his wife her thoughts & she replied, Yes Ingmar it's a masterpiece but a dreary masterpiece..don't think there is a better way to sum up this deep & thought provoking film. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Winter Light

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