Autumn Sonata

"Mommy Dearest for Swedes." ▼

Ingrid Bergman stars in Ingmar Bergman's (they are not related) drama of a mother and daughter meeting after many years. The kind of slow, twisting yearning Bergman (him) is capable of producing is remarkable. No wonder Swedes love him so much. Bergman (her) plays the mother, locked in her own world of fame and lonliness, which as the commentator points out, isn't quite fair of Bergman (him) to do to her since it looks like he's criticizing her lifelong elegance and pristine beauty in film. Truthfully, Bergman (her) shed that image many times after she ran off to marry Italian film director Roberto Rossellini. But Bergman (him) seemed to take delight in making her play it "straight" and looking as unlovely as Bergman (her) possibly can. Which isn't much.

Favorite Moments: The piano lesson, the crippled daughter.