"But The Mother And Child Reunion Is Only A Moment Away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

                                    Ingamar Bergman's better films--and "Autumn Sonata" is one of them--always have an exciting theatricality to them, revealing his theatrical background.  The actors at times seem to be looking directly at the camera, addressing their speech as if to an audience while they are on stage.

                                      This works to great effect in "Autumn Sonata," where a mother and daughter--fiercely competing for the other's attention, despite Mother being a renowned pianist--go at each other in a series of monologues revealing hatred and resentment.

                                          That the mother and daughter are played by Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullman helps because this is their show and the film is like a master class in acting, taught by these two ladies. Ulman's daughter plays her sister, Helena, neglected by their mother due to some neuro-physio illness that is never explained though it is suggested it was brought on by her father Viktor sexually abusing her.

                                                 Girls, this is very strong stuff, and even I was not prepared for this.  Bergman's camerawork is probing and there are some lovely shots along water ways that lend a relaxing, poetic feel to the trauma before and afterward.  And the colors are muted browns and blacks, suggesting a very autumnal look.  No detail escapes Bergman's eye.

                                                      To think it took me almost half a century to see this.  I highly recommend it, but make sure you are emotionally prepared.

                                                         It's like Tolstoy said, "......every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"