Just got my box set. I’m watching in curated order. So far I’ve watched the first film, read the chapter about it in the book, and watched all the special features/additional content. Going to try to read and watch the next part today
Dear Marlin Benson, that is great news! I am so happy to hear you got the set, and that you will be exploring the works in the Criterion curated order. Well done. And so you say you watched the first film, which is great! Please let us know how your Bergman journey progresses. I would love to hear your thoughts on it. Take care.
I’d probably watch the films in order of when they were released at first whenever I’d get the box set, though I’m sure I’d watch the curated order at some point. It’s interesting to hear the order and reason Criterion put the films in order regarding themes and how when viewing it the way they put the box set in, you can see certain thematic elements which follows the films when viewing them in that particular order.
I feel the same way. I had seen 4 Bergman films before getting the set. My thought was that I'll never likely set out a film project like this one, seeing 35 films from a single director or genre for the first time with very little context to pollute or preclude my own original thoughts. I've been watching 2 a week, which really isn't fast enough for the purpose, but I'm still enjoying my chosen order.
I was finally able to watch a few of these videos! (Been incredibly busy!) I am very happy with this series of videos and am happy with the different ways you express to view the Bergman boxset. I myself, am following the curated order and just arrived at Centerpiece 1. Very excited for this journey, and very happy to hear your thoughts. Thank you Daisuke!
@@blu-rayswithnathanjones fantastic. When I upload my own Bergman box videos later this week I hope, I will be sure to mention your channel and your great work.
For those who care, in Sawdust and Tinsel, at the 19:04 mark, a very subtle jump cut occurs. Also, I figured out why Abel in The Serpent's Egg is wearing an earring. He is a carry-over from Albert (who is also wearing an earring) in sawdust and Tinsel. Both (or one in the same character) are circus performers.
I'm sure you saw the Ingmar Bergman cameo in The Magic Flute at 08:54. I think Sven Nykvist appears twice in the audience montage at the beginning of the film.
Dear Daisuke. I am watching your videos about this beautiful set, because I bought them in the B&N sale but decided, since for me it's still a bit of money, that I will give them to myself for Christmas. Yes, somewhat masochistic.. But I have you to whet my appetite and to keep thinking about these movies. I shall read his book Laterna Magica before then; I bought it 2nd hand when I was "home" last summer. I'm sure it will give me a lot of emotional and psychological background to Bergman before diving in. Of course, growing up in Sweden in the late 60's, 70's and 80's, I was very aware of him, and his TV films did show up every now and again (I remember "Backanterna" coming out and seeing discussions about it, but wasn't interested then!!) I have seen bits from several of the movies, but have only watched Fanny & Alexander, and The Best Intentions (of course not directed by him) in its entirety. I think I may go through them as curated, to start with; I can't wait!
Thank you so much for your kind words. Yes, the set is really one of the best sets that Criterion has ever released. I think the curated order is really brilliant too. I wish you well and I hope you enjoy your journey through the cinema of Ingmar Bergman, my friend. Cheers and I hope you are well.
I noticed something interesting in the theatrical version of Fanny and Alexander (from the latest Fanny and Alexander boxset). I'd like to know if your version has the same jump cut at roughly 2: 26: 36, in the scene where Isak Jacobi buys the chest from Vergerus. I wonder if it still exists in the Bergman's Cinema set as well as the television version. Also, is this scene is quite implausible, in that Jacobi running up and down the staircase rescuing Fanny and Alexander in the chest?
Hello my friend and sorry for the lateness of my reply. So, I looked at the theatrical version of Fanny and Alexander as it appears in the separate blu ray release, and then in the Bergman box set. I can say that the jump cut that you refer to (when the camera pans quickly from Vergerus on the stairs to Isak just before he kneels down on the ground) occurs. And yes, there is an air of "implausibility" regarding the kind of physical prowess that we would have to expect from Isak at this moment, but perhaps that could lead to a kind of "fantasy" kind of interpretation of this moment?
Before you choose the order in which you watch these films you must answer this question: Are you the kind of person who eat the middle of the pizza first or do you save it for last? If you want to get to the juiciest bits first, by all means, look up a top list of his most celebrated and popular movies and watch those first and watch the rest on a rainy day. Personally, I had watched about 7-8 of his films before I went into my box set (which differs a bit from this box). I decided to jump back and forth in the timeline but made sure that I saved a couple of cherries to the very last (Winter Lights, Cries and Whispers, Through a Glass Darkly). However, I found myself loving some films considered to be "lesser Bergman" more than his "masterpieces". Two of my very favourite films are Brink of Life and Sawdust & Tinsel. I prefer both over Virgin Spring, Persona and The Seventh Seal.
Hey Daisuke, I came across a very valuable review (first published in 1941) by Jorge Luis Borges about the film Citizen Cane. It is considered one of the greatest movie reviews of all time. Maybe, if interested, you can get a hold of his review, I think it might enrich your understanding of film reviews.
OH yes, I have read this! Thank you for bringing it to our attention! I think it can be found here: interrelevant.wordpress.com/2013/01/24/borges-reviews-citizen-kane/
I think I'm going to start with the "faith triology" being the son of a minister and of the Christian faith, I think it will be interesting to see how Bergman dealt with that himself.
loofrin I’m currently going through them in that order too. I don’t think it’s necessarily the best order, but it definitely is an interesting one. I had seen a few films of his before buying the set, and I felt it was best for me to have seen a few other ones beforehand because Smiles of a Summer Night would not have intrigued me enough and I would have felt disappointed by the set. I’d seen maybe 5 or 6 before I started this, but if I hadn’t seen Persona beforehand, I’d probably have been disappointed because I find his more experimental works to be the most interesting on first watch. He’s one of those directors that I find gets more interesting the more I watch him, and each one of his films that I have seen multiple times has gotten better each viewing.
