Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007)

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ola t · #1 Post by **ola t** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 4:49 am

Swedish media report that Ingmar Bergman died this morning, 89 years old, in his home on FÃƒÂ¥rÃ¶.

alfons416 · #2 Post by **alfons416** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 5:12 am

read that to, very sad.

malcolm1980 · #3 Post by **malcolm1980** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 5:18 am

ola t wrote:Swedish media report that Ingmar Bergman died this morning, 89 years old, in his home on FÃƒÂ¥rÃ¶.

He was one of the masters. R.I.P.

Awesome Welles · #4 Post by **Awesome Welles** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 5:24 am

Damn. That's a real shame, a true legend. He will be sorely missed.

Cinephrenic · #5 Post by **Cinephrenic** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 5:47 am

A pilar among the masters. He left a great legacy behind though.

Dylan · #6 Post by **Dylan** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:02 am

Although he lived a very long life, this is still terrible to hear. Ingmar Bergman possessed an extraordinary intellectual power at telling stories, whether they were on stage or the screen. Among other things, his directing of actors is unsurpassed, and many, many scenes and monologues from his films never leave my mind.

Truly one of the greatest artists and writers of the last century.

mogwai · #7 Post by **mogwai** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:36 am

Well said, Dylan. Very sad news.

jbeall · #8 Post by **jbeall** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 8:38 am

Here's the New York Times obit.

atcolomb · #9 Post by **atcolomb** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 8:54 am

Rest in Peace....I hope you find answers to the relationship of man and God.

Michael · #10 Post by **Michael** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 9:00 am

Terrible news but I hope death wasn't hard for him since he had expressed his intense fear of death. I owe him a tremendous lot for giving birth to my life long love of art and foreign film. When I was around 12 years old, I saw Fanny and Alexander and coming out of the dark cavern of a theater, I was never the same again. So then I started exploring Bergman - the first time I realized that actors were not the only people behind the screens, in other words I started seeing directors as artists and it was my exposure to Bergman that opened my eyes to the amazing world of directors. Nearly 30 years later, I'm still exploring Bergman. Almost every Bergman film (especially the Criterions) had made my list of favorites and the current favorite is the gorgeously wicked Smiles of a Summer Night (the film I find myself watching so repeatedly more than other Bergman films) with the incredibly moving Wild Strawberries behind it - just barely.

numediaman2 · #11 Post by **numediaman2** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 9:23 am

I'm so glad to see that the old master is receiving his due this morning. This is the lead story on both the NYT and WaPo sites, as well as the Guardian, which has a nice collection of stories and blog entries.

Bergman was too much of a giant of cinema to ever have faded, but this will encourage many people to take a first or second look at his work.

For the newcomer, I think Bergman will be hard to appreciate. His work is like that of the Baroque masters, or of a jazz musician. His work takes patience and concentration. But at the same time, he is inviting and very human. Anyone can appreciate his work that is willing to give a little of themselves -- as Bergman always gives us ALL of himself.

I do not rate directors; do not like to make comparisons in order to judge quality. But Bergman has always stood alone for me. For all my adult life, the cinema of Ingmar Bergman was synonymous with serious cinema.

Strangely, I am less sad than I was with the death of Luis Bunuel. With Bergman we knew he was retired (or semi-retired) relaxing on Faro, away from the world. Bunuel, on the other hand, had entered a new phase of his career and doubtless would have continued to make films had he not died.

But, for me, the death of Bergman is the equivalent of the death of Bach. One can look back and see the accomplishments, the genius. Bergman has left with a body of work equal to that of the greatest masters of music or painting.

Barmy · #12 Post by **Barmy** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 9:35 am

Love his stuff, but he has pretty much been forgotten. Too bad he wasted much of his last 20 years sitting in a barn in a wintry wasteland.

Ovader · #13 Post by **Ovader** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 9:42 am

I knew this day would come but not so soon. One of my favorite filmmakers passed away and I feel a loss even though I have never known the man. I first discovered his films eight years ago (starting with Persona) which have inspired and encouraged me and will continue to do so. This past Saturday night at a party my cinematographer on my short film mentioned Winter Light and how Bergman and Nykvist would wait for the light to pass in a church to examine its effects. Well now those two men's light have passed but will continue to illuminate my love of cinema.

portnoy · #14 Post by **portnoy** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 9:54 am

numediaman2 wrote:I do not rate directors; do not like to make comparisons in order to judge quality. But Bergman has always stood alone for me. For all my adult life, the cinema of Ingmar Bergman was synonymous with serious cinema.

My experience and comprehension of Bergman is similar to yours...

When just getting into film, I equated Bergman - or at least, how we conceive of Bergman's films as a public - with art cinema in general, as if his uniquely beautiful blend of Continentalism and Scandinavian aesthetics could somehow signify a medium. It was, of course, daunting - Bergman's work seems at first monolithic to the outsider, especially given the rigorous, philosophically rich nature of his best-known works. Young and weak-willed, I took to other, (great), more approachable filmmakers like Truffaut and Fellini, but it was a long time coming before I explored Bergman's work.

How richly human and appreciably generous I found it. With few exceptions, his films are great because they approach their subjects with such a regard for human scale and understanding, and such a basic understanding of human virtue and folly. Fanny and Alexander, Scenes from a Marriage, Through a Glass Darkly, Cries and Whispers - these are films that stay with me and inform my day-to-day life because Bergman had such a patient and thorough understanding of human nature. Few of his films are particularly challenging on any formal level - if anything, their simplicity belies the richness of the texts themselves.

We're all greater for having had Bergman, and we're all less without him.

patrick · #15 Post by **patrick** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:06 am

RIP

This is hitting me a little hard, The Seventh Seal was the first film that really opened up the gates of classic world cinema to me, and I feel like it changed my life more than any other film I've ever seen.

teddyleevin · #16 Post by **teddyleevin** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:20 am

I heard this news while eating in the diner. I was enjoying some breakfast when I turned my head to the TV after hearing "Fanny & Alexander". I just saw "Filmmaker Ingmar Bergman Dies" and I was shocked. RIP Ingmar.

kaujot · #17 Post by **kaujot** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:44 am

Very sad, though not too sad. He was 89, after all. Lord knows he did a lot with his time.

Steven H · #18 Post by **Steven H** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 11:01 am

I can't think of any other director so successful in reminding me of my own mortality. How can anyone watch Cries and Whispers and not shudder at the fear of death? That being said, I think I appreciate Summer With Monika and Fanny and Alexander more than any of his films. I know someone who, as much as he could, flew around the world to see his plays performed, and he said each one was a nearly life changing experience.

ola t · #19 Post by **ola t** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 11:05 am

Barmy wrote:Too bad he wasted much of his last 20 years sitting in a barn in a wintry wasteland.

He spent them directing stage, radio, and television productions, and writing screenplays, plays, and books. He was never just a film director. Much the same way that you are not just a troll.

#20 Post by **TomReagan** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 11:32 am

Truly a sad day.

For me, like countless others, my introduction to world cinema was through Bergman via The Seventh Seal. I was 16, and my high school had video monitors with headphones in its library. I was intrigued by the cover of the VHS, popped it in, and so it began.

I often hear people state (or write) that although Bergman was their introduction as well, they have subsequently Ã¢â‚¬Å“moved onÃ¢â‚¬

lord_clyde · #21 Post by **lord_clyde** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:00 pm

My introduction to Begman was with is 'film trilogy'. At 30$, I couldn't pass it up (back in the days when I bought Criterions because they were Criterion.) Nothing could have prepared me for the emotional devastation of the films (especially Winter Light) and I immediately sought out more.
And thus I discovered what I still consider the perfect movie, 'Fanny and Alexander', which when people ask me what the greatest movie ever made is (after I give them aggravating answeres like 'They are Legion') I tell them seriously 'Fanny and Alexander', no film encompasses so much.
I recently bought 'Early Bergman', 'Wild Strawberries', and 'Scenes from a Marriage' but have not felt like watching them. I guess today will be the day.

ellipsis7 · #22 Post by **ellipsis7** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:14 pm

Bergman Face to Face pages here

colinr0380 · #23 Post by **colinr0380** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:19 pm

BBC report

Very sad news, there is little I can say that hasn't already been said, except on the personal level that many of his films had an important impact on me, and continue to reveal more each time each time I see them. In all these cases when a creator dies, it is a small comfort to know that at least the work remains and will hopefully continue to find an appreciative audience.

patrick · #24 Post by **patrick** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:35 pm

I came into work at the video store today knowing that I would have to answer questions about this all day (not something easy for me, since I've honestly been a little teary since I heard the news - and I can't ever recall being truly upset about the death of someone I didn't know), and I knew I would have to clear some space to make a small tribute section - I'm sure some might see it as crassly selling product to those who read about Bergman's passing in the news this morning, but as someone who will never be asked to comment on Bergman's passing to the New York Times or the BBC, I feel like it's the most I can do to honor someone whose art quite literally changed my life.

Now, after spending 30 minutes agonizing over what 8 movies to pick to fill the only space I could make in this crowded store, I now have Death quite literally staring at me from a shelf and it's put me in a very reflective mood.

#25 Post by **domino harvey** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:53 pm

I guess what saddens me more is this isn't going to be front page news, and at best is going to warrant 15 seconds max on national news programs. Disgusting.