692. Fanny och Alexander/Fanny and Alexander (1982)

Running Time: 188 minutes
Directed By: Ingmar Bergman
Written By: Ingmar Bergman
Main Cast: Bertil Guve, Pernilla Allwin, Gunn Wallgren, Jarl Kulle, Ewa Froling
Click here to view the trailer

BERGMAN WEEK: CHAPTER X - THE CONCLUSION

Well after months of hype "Bergman Week" began and it took three more months before, what was supposed to be a week long tribute to the Swedish director, culminated. For the duration of "Bergman Week" I've been waiting for that one film to really blow me away and make me realize the greatness that was Ingmar Bergman and in the 11th hour, it finally came.

For starters, I want to say that "Fanny and Alexander" is really a misleading title for this movie. Yes, the film does revolve around the two young siblings - Fanny (Allwin), the little girl, who doesn't say much but always sticks near her brother's side and Alexander (Guve), a boy who enjoys all the perks of being a child, who is strong in his opinions and who has an active imagination. However, the film is really about their entire family. When the film begins it is Christmas time and the family is gathering at Helena Ekdahl's (Wallgren) palatial home, the matriarch of the Ekdahl family. Helena has three sons: Oscar, Gustav Adolf (Kulle) and Carl. Each of the three men have built families of their own. Oscar operates the family owned theater and is the husband of Emilie (Froling) and the father of Fanny and Alexander. The family gets along splendidly and while watching the film it's difficult not to reminisce about your own childhood and your own, personal family memories. However, when Oscar dies, somber days lie ahead. Emilie remarries to Bishop Edvard Vergerus, a man who doesn't take well to the children, to say the least. He is particularly hard on Alexander, whom he realizes hates him. The film commences over the course of it's three hour time limit, using all of it's time wisely and letting the tale of the Ekdahl's unfold.

SPOILER ALERT!

The reason that I took to this film so much, was because, for the most part, it was a very straightforward tale. Sure, there were still a few unanswered questions (What was the deal with Ismael?), but for the most part Bergman gives us a very genuine film. I don't have a whole lot to say, so I'll try to keep it short. "Fanny and Alexander" gives us a barrage of scenes, all of which are handled with care. Each segment feels so true to life that, like I said above, I couldn't help but remember my own memories while watching it. The film starts out at Christmas time and there are so many familiar facets to that segment. An uncle pulling children into a separate room so that he can show them a flatulent magic trick, relatives gathering around a dinner table and later falling asleep in chairs and on sofas, so many people having so many different conversations and the whole thing gives off a real feeling of warmth and togetherness. Later, after the Christmas segment, Alexander's father, Oscar, dies. It's probably the most realistic death scene I've ever seen, as first Oscar falls ill and it's only a matter of moments (in movie time anyway) that Oscar is lying on his deathbed, mourners surrounding him, sweat pouring from his body and a vomit stained bucket nearby. It's a scene that really hit me, because I'd never seen a persons death conveyed so realistically on film. I've never stood around someone's deathbed (knock on wood), but this is how I would picture it.

The second half picks up with Emilie's marriage to the Bishop, Edvard. He treats Alexander like shit and he's played marvelously by Jan Malmsjo. It takes all the togetherness and warmth of the first half and gives it a complete 180, now forcing the audience to plummet into sorrow, as we watch poor Alexander try to survive in the home of the Bishop. I've never been one for films where kids were the main characters, but I've gotta' say this one really gripped me and the entire duration of the film really flew by. Of course, I watched it in two sittings, but to tell the truth I couldn't wait to come back and finish the second half and see just what happened to these two kids. There were no bad cast members, but a special kudos to Jarl Kulle, Mona Malm, Erland Josephson and Jan Malmsjo are due. Also, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Sven Nykvist. Even if I didn't enjoy every Bergman picture, starting with "Through a Glass Darkly", at least they looked breath taking and "Fanny and Alexander" was no exception with it's use of rich colors that captivated me. I think we'll leave it at that.

RATING: 8.5/10 I can't go the full monty (yet), but this is one of those ones where quibbling over numbers is pointless. It's great and that's that. Would NOT be surprised to see this one pop up on my next TOP 20.

A WORD OR TWO ABOUT BERGMAN

With "Bergman Week" finally finished I figured it would be suitable for me to write a few words about the man himself. For years I've been a fan of Woody Allen and when you're a fan of someone you tend to listen when they have something to say. For years I've listened to Woody Allen interviews where he's cited Bergman as the man that really influenced his career and for years I often wondered how I'd take to Bergman's films, since I obviously took to Allen's so greatly. Years later I finally saw "Scenes from a Marriage" and loved it. With "Bergman Week" I've found that, in fact, I didn't take to Ingmar as greatly as others do. Despite liking a few of his films, I'd have to say that overall he's just not the director for me. Often times I wish I could like all the films I'm "supposed" to like. However, I soon realize that there's no fun in that and I can really only like the films that hit me somewhere familiar or leave an impact on me. I think Bergman's main problem (from behind my eye) was that he was to consumed with his own mortality, the existence of God (or lack thereof) and questions that no filmmaker (or human, for that matter) could answer. Bergman tried his best to use his words and his camera to answer some of those questions or at least force his audience to think along with him. I've never been one for philosophical films and at times, Bergman's films took on a more poetic nature, that also didn't agree with me. It's not that they were BAD, it's just that they and I didn't quite connect. I'm glad that I finally got the chance to sit down and watch a good bunch of Ingmar Bergman films and surely, when the opportunity comes, I'll probably even see some more. I'd like to think I have a better grasp of what Ingmar Bergman is all about, however, I think he and I need to see other people.

RANKING BERGMAN

1. Fanny and Alexander
2. Winter Light
3. Through a Glass Darkly
4. Cries and Whispers
5. Persona
6. Hour of the Wolf
7. Shame
8. Smiles of a Summer Night
9. The Seventh Seal
10. Wild Strawberries

But, one last time, remember "Scenes from a Marriage" SHOULD HAVE been included! The end.

MOVIES WATCHED: 416
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 585

COMING SOON:
Sullivan's Travels (1941 - Preston Sturges)
The Lives of Others (2006 - Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)
Monsieur Verdoux (1947 - Charles Chaplin)
Spirited Away (2001 - Hayao Miyazaki)
El Topo (1970 - Alejandro Jodorowsky)

March 24, 2012 12:43am