“The trappings of security come at a high price: the constant erosion of your personality.”

an absolute clinic of refined, precise cinematography, of perfect acting, and of brutally honest storytelling. the more Bergman I watch, the more I understand how he has one of the GOAT filmographies. I don’t have a list of favourite actors, but Liv Ullman would definitely be on it. her emotional breakdown in episode 3, complete with her biting her own hand out of rage and sadness...she’s great. every episode has a scene or two that I know will stick with me.

the Paula episode is noteworthy not just because of the emotional depths both actors (particularly Ullman) go to, but also if you consider what the real life inspiration(s) must’ve been. Ullman portraying Marianne, a wife whose marriage, and life, have been turned upside down by her husband’s feelings for another woman...wouldn’t this have essentially been what Bergman’s wife must’ve felt? when he had an affair with Ullman (among others)? I see so much of Bergman’s personal life (the struggles, the mannerisms, the attitudes) in Erland Josephson’s performance. I give a lot of love to Ullman here, but Josephson can’t go unrecognised. thing about Jospehson’s character of Johan is that he’s so incredibly loathsome and unsympathetic, it takes significantly low depths to sink to in order for him to become more so in the volatile climax of episode 5.

initially, episode 6 didn’t feel right as far as a reaction to the events of episode 5. but as it went on, the purpose and intent of the story became clear. it was further stating what everything had up this point: people are imperfect, constantly confused and frustrated. satisfaction appears within reach, but is always truly out of it. love is complex, it’s messy, it’s vicious. and how it raises the question of whether or not people (and love by extension) are able to be true to each other, to themselves, or if the world makes it impossible.

and of course, I loved the footage of Fårö during the end credits each episode. 

as someone who also (not as often as one should) creates, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how art, more often than not, serves as an emotional bandage of sorts, for both the artist and the consumer. for the artist, it’s a way to express an inner turmoil, to reconcile with the past, by making it your present, in hopes for a future where you learn from the experience. for the viewer, it’s not only a form of therapy, but also confirmation that you’re not quite as alone as you think. in a way, that realisation is something both parties can understand. Bergman here rips the bandage right off of his emotional wounds, displaying it in over 5 hours for the world to see. almost his entire filmography is the exposure of his soul’s wounds. and yet, his work lives on. I would imagine, precisely because of this.