Last Monday Ingmar Bergman past away, while this was not unexpected it was still a big loss for the film community. I know that I am not alone in having watched his films many times, both as a viewer enthralled with the stories and as a filmmaker seeking understanding of what he did, and looking for ways to improve what I do when making a film. The New York Times has run two articles about Bergman in the past two weeks, this weekend's piece was written by Woody Allen who remarked that Bergman's films are philosophical and challenging. This got me thinking, why is it that film viewers of the 1960's and 70's were willing to be challenged by films that were emotionally so complex, and at times delved into philosophical and intellectual realms? Certainly to film viewers and filmmakers today words like "philosophical" and "Intellectual" are considered pejorative. In fact in an interview last month the EP / Director of In Treatment (the show I'm currently working on), Rodrigo Garcia (son of Gabriel Garcia Marquez) said that In Treatment "is not intellectual, it's a soap opera on steroids." Now, he may have been saying what he thought needed to be said about the show in order to get viewer's interested in a show about therapy but I thought it was too bad that he said it was not intellectual because on one level it is, and that's part of what makes it a good show. So anyway, philosophical cinema or TV can be a very good thing and I hope that in the near future it won't be considered a bad idea to challenge viewers, to encourage the kind of fascination that comes when we are invited to both think and feel when watching a film. Bergman's work stands as a reminder of how exciting film can be when the focus is on emotions and the mind.
Some of my Fav. Bergman films:
Persona
Wild Strawberries
The Passions of Anna
Shame
Cries and Whispers
4 comments:
You are working with Gabriel Garcia Marquez's son?! He is only my absolute favorite author. I am enthralled by his novels and short stories. If I could get something signed by him, I would be star struck! Nikki
It not so much working with him as he comes into my office and says "Douglas! Talk to me!" and the I scramble to get answers to 10 different questions. Actually I really like him. I had lunch with one of our cast members yesterday and we agree that he is a teddy bear. He's a good director to boot! Signed by who Rodrigo or his dad?
His dad!!!! I have a copy of almost all his novels and collections of short stories. Nikki
right, well a quick check shows that you can get signed first editions for Marquez for about $1,000. Their probably low because he is still alive. :-)
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