Underplayed Gems

Through a Glass Darkly (1961)

Through a Glass Darkly poster
Original title
Såsom i en spegel
Directed by
Ingmar Bergman
Genre
drama film
Country
Sweden
Runtime
1h 29m
Rated
12
Rating
7.8 of 10 from 542 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A young woman with schizophrenia vacations on a remote island with her husband, father, and brother. The family members struggle with their own personal conflicts as her mental state deteriorates.

introspectivebleakclaustrophobicsomberintimatepsychologically intensecontemplative

What happens

Through a Glass Darkly (Swedish: Såsom i en spegel, lit. 'As in a Mirror') is a 1961 Swedish psychological drama film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, and starring Harriet Andersson, Gunnar Björnstrand, Max von Sydow and Lars Passgård. The film tells the story of a schizophrenic young woman (Andersson) vacationing on a remote island with her husband (von Sydow), novelist father (Björnstrand), and frustrated younger brother (Passgård). Bergman structured the film as a three-act play, drawing on his personal experiences and relationships. The film was his first of several shot on the island of Fårö, at the recommendation of cinematographer Sven Nykvist. The score incorporates the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Themes explored include the equation of God with love, exploitation in art, psychosis, and sexuality. Through a Glass Darkly was released to positive reviews, specifically for Andersson's performance, and won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It was followed by Bergman's thematically related 1963 films Winter Light and The Silence. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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