The Films of Ingmar Bergman

This concise overview of the career of one of the modern masters of world cinema defines Ingmar Bergman''s conception of the human condition as a struggle to find meaning in life as it is played out. After examining six existential themes explored repeatedly in Bergman''s films--judgment abandonment suffering shame a visionary picture and a turning toward or away from others--Jesse Kalin shows how these themes are expressed in eight of his films including well known favorites such as Wild Strawberries The Seventh Seal Smiles of a Summer Night and Fanny and Alexander. Other important but lesser known films covered include Naked Night Shame Cries and Whispers and Scenes from a Marriage.