Såsom i en spegel (1961)

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writer:

Ingmar Bergman (writer)

Release Date:

16 October 1961 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A young woman, Karin, has recently returned to the family island after spending some time in a mental hospital...

Plot Keywords:

Father Son Relationship | Brother Sister Relationship | Son In Law | Loss Of Sanity | Father Daughter Relationship

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Harriet Andersson	...	Karin
Gunnar Björnstrand	...	David
Max von Sydow	...	Martin
Lars Passgård	...	Fredrik (segment "Minus")

Directed by
Ingmar Bergman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ingmar Bergman		writer

Produced by
Allan Ekelund	....	producer

Original Music by
Erik Nordgren		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Sven Nykvist

Film Editing by
Ulla Ryghe

Production Design by
P.A. Lundgren

Costume Design by
Mago

Makeup Department
Börje Lundh	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lenn Hjortzberg	....	assistant director

Art Department
Karl-Arne Bergman	....	property master

Sound Department
Staffan Dalin	....	sound
Stig Flodin	....	sound

Special Effects by
Evald Andersson	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Rolf Holmquist	....	assistant camera
Peter Wester	....	assistant camera

Other crew
Ulla Furås	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Distributors

• Janus Films (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1978) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Criterion Collection, The (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (????) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Gutek Film (2007) (Poland) (all media)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Moskwood Media (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Versátil Home Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Through a Glass Darkly (USA)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:X | UK:15 (video rating) (1993)

Filming Locations:

Fårö, Gotlands län, Sweden

Company:

Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Goofs:

Continuity: When Martin and David are taking up nets in the boat, Martin puts his pipe in his mouth and then takes the oars and starts to row. In the next shot, the pipe is gone.

Quotes:

Karin: It's so horrible to see your own confusion and understand it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007) (TV)

Beautful work of Art

Harriet Anderson's performance is beyond brilliance. She has a very difficult role, but there seems not the hint of acting on her part. It is a role where the character seems to be acting and is having a very rough time. Her performance is transparent and haunting. I saw this film most recently a few years ago (and have seen many movies since then), but i still recall vividly three of her scenes. The photography is magical and while not as praised as Wild Strawberries, Persona or Winter Light ( and a few other Bergman classics), its power and its passion reach inside your soul and dares you to resist living the story and the characters of the film. Also, Max von Sydow is brilliant as usual--he is certainly the most underrated actor of all time--theater, television or cinema. I highly recommend this film and then your viewing t he 1971 Passion of Anna, also with Max v.S. and a performance by Liv Ullmann that rivals Harriet's in Thtorug a Glass Darkly. The theme of Darkly is the human predicament in a world of suffering and illness. How does man survive if he actually "lives" his/her life, rather than just sports through life without any experience of art and the spiritual (good or bad). This film is part of a loose trilogy that includes the magnificent Winter Light and The Silence, though each can be viewed separately with no loss of discovery and enjoyment. When I was in college at UCLA from 1968-75 (under and grad school), Bergman was the rage with many people. He seems to be lost in the mists of time. But if go back and watch his films from the late 50's to the 70's, you will see cinema at its boldest and its greatest. Buy the films or rent them (Netflix has a good collection.). Darkly will shake your world and cause ripples of thought and feelings that move for a long, long time inside your mind, and if your fortunate your soul.. See this film.