Persona Analysis: The Motif of Hands 

"Alma is more talkative" LOL

It is the greatest examination of human emotion ever put on screen

I feel like Elizabeth is everything Alma wants to be, Fight Club kinda thing

I've watched it over 50 times in the last 30 years and still learn something new each time. Still trying to figure out a few things.

The commentary is thoughtful with great insight, and you seem to have broken down the thought pattern from a director's standpoint very wisely.

I didn't see one as a persona of the other, I saw 2 separate parts of the same person. Not masks, but genuine 'personalities' - like we all have, and usually a lot more than two. Here we have the quiet, introspective part of the whole being confronted by the energetic, yearning for answers part. One is happy to forget, while the other needs to recognize past traumas.

In the manner of hands, this was a great analysis that could have been made in a 5-minute video. And I really love the way you described how they are merging into one. Because those two were like two piece of a puzzle that only fill each other -also could be seen on the films own poster- But I think that child at the beginning and end of the film represents this also in a story manner because Elizabeth only wanted a child not to become a mother but to have the social role of a mother while Alma wanted to be a mother but was scared of the social role, so in a way this child is the child that Alma couldn't had and Elizabeth had

Very very interesting, definitely makes sense! Now I understand the movie way better!

I watched this movie yesterday and it still hasnt left my mind. I think I'm gonna have to rewatch it, but what I'm sure of is that all the praise I heard of it was definitely warranted. Great video btw! This film is a real puzzle to analyze.

Persona is in my personal top five films of all time

The best analysis of this film, period Thank you so much!

very good analysis , gives more clarity on the film , and you have remarkable insight on some of the surrealist themes in the film. thank you for the review

"Masterpiece" is perhaps used to often. Persona IS one though. It just blows you away. Its incredible.

That analysis was amazing

Very informative. Thank you! This movie is a timeless masterpiece

Thanks! You are a genius! I had to watch it 100 times to fully get that! Subscribed :)

great analysis

Excellent job!

Beautiful.

Very good analysis.

Great analysis for a great movie!

Love, love your videos. The only films i've watched by Bergman are Persona and Dreams both i really liked will revisit Persona after this and check out some more Bergman

Thanks for the review... I was not able to understand much from the film...but you made some sense...

Wow great analysis, thank you

Great analysis

All those films are essentially inspired from Persona. Fight Club, Mulholland Drive, Donnie Darko, Black Swan etc.

I am Thou...Thou art I... ...Thou shall art willing- wait

fantastic analysis of this part of the film... top 3 movie oat imo

I think this movie rather shows the aspect and question of oneself. The question arises more often in the movie if the idols of oneself really resemble the truth or 'your truth'. So its a question about truth and lies. And the truth is foremost subjective and can be adapted to fit your values. The movie starts with the camera roll and stops with the camera roll, which can be interpreted in various ways. One could be the question of what is real and what is not related to the values of a person. Anyhow, this is just a small idea on the side if it might be related to the values of a person and the persona this person can resemble sometimes.

Very good!

cool review 👍🏼

You just earned a subscriber

awesome!

Nice analysis, I haven't noticed a few things

Very good

Did Elisabet actually 'evolve' from stage to film at the end? I thought Alma said something about seeing one of Elisabet's movies.

Persona it´s enigmatic.But it´s still a classic Bergman´s movie.

Idk if it means of something but alma in portuguese means soul

Thank you so much for such great insight! Is your analysis based on some readings?

I really want to know how he got that shot of the nail going into the hand. It looks so realistic for a time that had no cgi. The hammer comes down with real force and you see the nail actually drive into the flesh.

it is an nonlinear storytelling, where thoughts and feelings and time are merged, it felt like Elizabeth was tripping, because of the psychedelics she used (mashrooms) in one of the scenes, and in that scene alma 's face was covered by the hat, then she started exploring more about herself, and her deepest fear and getting rid of the mask she wearing which is alma

It looks like a Jungian individuation, the key is - according to me - the light on the forehead of the two characters: full light on Elisabeth's forehead (which makes her character an 'anima', or 'soul') and the shadow on Alma's, which identifies an 'ombra', a 'shadow'. As far as the individuation goes ahead Alma's forehead too becomes bright, as in minute 03:01 of the video. The hands' movements, also in this fantastic synthetic video, often point to the foreheads.

What do you think is the purpose of reaching into the unknown though? Is is for complete understanding of the thing? Or is it an attempt to imitate what we do not understand, what fascinates us?

only 32 likes! deserves more great analysis...

subbed

could you do a review of the children

being hurts

elizabeth on stage scene looks so much like carla gugino.

In the film what does the line of backwards dialogue say?

Hi, thanks for the video! Can I ask you what font you used in the cover frame? :)

You have a voice for silent film. .

Wait… Elizabet evolved from theatre to film. Then what does Alma saying “I’ve seen one of your movies” mean?

Bergman used Goddardian style in this movie better than Goddard

2.48 The letter writing scene does not lend support to your point. "How personas are sometimes reveal the true self". IT is Elizabeth who writes the letter not Elma. If Bergman really had that point in mind, he would rather make Elma write about Elizabeth.

This is a great analysis especially regarding the Motif of Hands but why do you claim that the husband that shows up at the house is Alma's husband (Karl-Henrik) instead of Elisabeth's husband? He mentions the kid/the little one which only makes sense if he's talking to Elisabeth as she is the one who is a mother and during this scene there is, what seems to me, a stepping up to the role of Elisabeth that Alma accepts. Whether because she is indeed Elisabeth's persona or because she wants to replace Elisabeth in order to fix her relationship with her husband so that Elisabeth can remain in peace, as that is Alma's purpose at the island. If Elisabeth's husband were to arrive there and be confronted with a broken relationship or a mute Elisabeth, he would be forced to constantly interact with the couple until the situation was solved, which would rob Elisabeth's of her carefree, non-existing state. As much Alma's role shifts throughout the movie, she is clearly attached to her duty, we see her struggling with doing "what's right" or "what should be done" often and it seems to be a big source of her problems and pain. In this scenario, Alma's duty is to take care of Elisabeth which means keeping her as in peace as possible, even if that means having sex with Elisabeth's husband (which leads to another breakout)

Munholland drive is better version of Persona, Bergman is my favorit director but Munholland drive for me is better