Spoilers herein.
I've seen many documentary type films about filmmakers, and they generally disappoint. That's because they start with an inherent disadvantage, being films about films.
We don't think twice about books about books, but film is a performing art. We would think it odd to have dance about dance or sculpture about sculpture. Film is in between these two (performance and book) and as a special case has worked out unique conventions for self-reflection. These are so unique in fact that many films are indeed about films or filmmaking in an implicit way. My IMDB comments are generally directed at how this implicit, subtle dynamic works.
But it is a different beast to try something expository or documentary about film because all the subtle self-referential baggage gets in the way. And indeed, what can a film about a filmmaker say that his/her films cannot? So I came to this with some trepidation, amplified because of who the target is this time because Bergman is a master of reflection. In fact, he burdens his films with little else.
But this is different. It works. It works because there is little here but conversation between a laconic interviewer and the man. He unreservedly rambles about himself. He never really talks about his films, but of course his films are about himself. This distance between the subject and his films, and the concurrent distance between the images of his films and the lack in this documentary make it all work.
See it. Bergman is worthy of attention as an artist. That means that if you reject him -- as I have -- you must only do so after some serious consideration. This helped me, and I recommend it to you.
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 4: Worth watching.
I've seen many documentary type films about filmmakers, and they generally disappoint. That's because they start with an inherent disadvantage, being films about films.
We don't think twice about books about books, but film is a performing art. We would think it odd to have dance about dance or sculpture about sculpture. Film is in between these two (performance and book) and as a special case has worked out unique conventions for self-reflection. These are so unique in fact that many films are indeed about films or filmmaking in an implicit way. My IMDB comments are generally directed at how this implicit, subtle dynamic works.
But it is a different beast to try something expository or documentary about film because all the subtle self-referential baggage gets in the way. And indeed, what can a film about a filmmaker say that his/her films cannot? So I came to this with some trepidation, amplified because of who the target is this time because Bergman is a master of reflection. In fact, he burdens his films with little else.
But this is different. It works. It works because there is little here but conversation between a laconic interviewer and the man. He unreservedly rambles about himself. He never really talks about his films, but of course his films are about himself. This distance between the subject and his films, and the concurrent distance between the images of his films and the lack in this documentary make it all work.
See it. Bergman is worthy of attention as an artist. That means that if you reject him -- as I have -- you must only do so after some serious consideration. This helped me, and I recommend it to you.
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 4: Worth watching.
