To Joy (1950)
"Till glädje" (original title)

Two violinists playing in the same orchestra fall in love and get married, but they can't get along.

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writer:

Ingmar Bergman

Stars:

Maj-Britt Nilsson, Stig Olin, Birger Malmsten

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Maj-Britt Nilsson	...	Marta Olsson
Stig Olin	...	Stig Eriksson
Birger Malmsten	...	Marcel
John Ekman	...	Mikael Bro
Margit Carlqvist	...	Nelly Bro
Victor Sjöström	...	Sönderby

Storyline

Stig, a visiting soloist to a small Swedish orchestra, marries fellow musician Martha, but the inner torment and sense of failure in Stig leads to an extra-marital affair and a tragic ending.

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Plot Keywords:

orchestra | violinist | mistress | musician | old man | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Release Date:

20 February 1950 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

To Joy

Filming Locations:

Arild, Skåne län, Sweden

Company Credits

Production Co:

Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of four Ingmar Bergman films never released theatrically in the US, although it did appear in America on videotape in 1984.

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Connections

Featured in Victor Seastrom (1981)

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Soundtracks

"SYMPHONY NO 9, OP. 125 ('AN DIE FREUDE')"
Music by Ludwig van Beethoven

User Reviews

Just a little ordinary

A moderate and still early film from Bergman that explores death, marriage and ultimately hope, through another common theme for many of his films, classical music.

Starting off in an uneasy tone, a telephone call brings bad news. From them on we get an insightful drama how the relationship and then marriage of the couple started, hiccuped through career ups and downs, infidelities, children and then reconciliation.

It's well scripted, as usual. But, for me there' too much emphasis on watching orchestras rehearsing, whilst important to the story (the husband is a notable violinist, his wife a member of the same orchestra) to many it would seem like padding. Many of the ups and downs and tribulations they face are not at all unusual, either for Bergman, nor for a relationship drama by anybody else.

Despite its often bleak outlook, To Joy, aptly played by the orchestra at the end, sparks a measure of hope and continuity.