Sawdust and Tinsel (1953) Gycklarnas afton (original title)

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writers:

(more)

Release Date:

9 April 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The creator of the celebrated "Torment" probes deep into the passions of a young girl...deep into the desires of two lustful men...deep into the drama and desperation of THE NAKED NIGHT

Plot:

While traveling in caravan through the country of Sweden, one member of the decadent Alberti Circus...

Plot Keywords:

Circus | Mistress | Clown | Sweden | Bear

Cast

Åke Grönberg	...	Albert Johansson
Harriet Andersson	...	Anne
Hasse Ekman	...	Frans
Anders Ek	...	Frost
Gudrun Brost	...	Alma
Annika Tretow	...	Agda
Erik Strandmark	...	Jens
Gunnar Björnstrand	...	Mr. Sjuberg
Curt Löwgren	...	Blom
Kiki	...	The Dwarf
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lissi Alandh	...	Theatre Actress (uncredited)
Julie Bernby	...	Ropewalker (uncredited)
John W. Björling	...	Greven - Circus Artist (uncredited)
Naemi Briese	...	Mrs. Meijer - Circus Artist (uncredited)
Michael Fant	...	Fair Anton (uncredited)
Karl-Axel Forssberg	...	Theatre Actor (uncredited)
Åke Fridell	...	Artillery Officer (uncredited)
Erna Groth	...	Theatre Actress (uncredited)
Eric Gustafson	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Conrad Gyllenhammar	...	Fager - Circus Artist (uncredited)
Vanje Hedberg	...	Mrs. Ekberg's Son (uncredited)
Agda Helin	...	Theatre Actress (uncredited)
Mats Hådell	...	Lill-Albert - Albert and Agda's Youngest Son (uncredited)
Gunborg Larsson	...	Mrs. Tanti - Circus Artist (uncredited)
Gunnar Lindberg	...	Police Constable (uncredited)
Göran Lundquist	...	Albert and Agda's Oldest Son (uncredited)
Olav Riégo	...	Theatre Actor (uncredited)
Hanny Schedin	...	Mrs. Asta (uncredited)
John Starck	...	Theatre Actor (uncredited)
Mona Sylwan	...	Mrs. Fager - Circus Artist (uncredited)
Majken Torkeli	...	Mrs. Ekberg - Member of the Orchestra (uncredited)
Sigvard Törnqvist	...	Meijer - Circus Artist (uncredited)

Directed by
Ingmar Bergman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ingmar Bergman		uncredited

Produced by
Rune Waldekranz	....	producer

Original Music by
Karl-Birger Blomdahl

Cinematography by
Hilding Bladh
Sven Nykvist

Film Editing by
Carl-Olov Skeppstedt

Production Design by
Bibi Lindström

Costume Design by
Mago

Makeup Department
Nils Nittel	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Olle Jacobsson	....	sound (as Olle Jakobsson)
Gösta Björk	....	sound assistant (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Hans Dittmer	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Lars Jönsson	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Other crew
Lars-Owe Carlberg	....	location manager
John W. Björling	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Marianne Johnson	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Alva Lundin	....	title designer (uncredited)
Sigvard Törnqvist	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Rune Zetterlund	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Sandrews

Distributors

• Times Film Corporation (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1972) (USA) (TV)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Sherlock Home Video (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Ripley's Home Video (2009) (Italy) (DVD)
• Sandrew-Baumanfilm AB

Also Known As:

"Gycklarnas afton" - Sweden (original title)
"The Naked Night" - USA (alternative title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:16 | UK:X (cut) | Spain:18 | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Arild, Skåne län, Sweden

Company:

Sandrews

Trivia:

Originally marketed in the States as a sex film under the title "The Naked Night".

Quotes:

Anne:I can crack nuts with my teeth too.
Frans:Now I'm scared.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ingmar Bergman on Life and Work (1998) (TV)

Dark and Mesmerizing

This is a fantastic early film made by the master of the psychological, Ingmar Bergman. This film is much easier to understand than say, Persona, Cries and Whispers, or the Seventh Seal, and therefore, I suggest this as a first-time introduction for anyone interested in learning more about his films and/or his filming technique.

This movie is quite simply, a dream. The introduction sequence is a brilliant example of Bergman's work...we see a long shot of 5 horse carriages moving across the plains at dawn, which dissolves into a reflection of a single horse & carriage in the water below a bridge, which dissolves into a series of shots...windmills, foggy paths, the carriage driver and the finally, a fade into the carriage where our protagonist, Albert Johansson, sleeps with his girlfriend Anna. Bergman is the king of the dissolve...a style he no doubt picked up from 1920's German expressionism. Bergman's mise en scene is a blend of sequences which depict a very dreamlike orientation of our immediate surrounding.The result: We are passive observers, watching the all-too-real reality of our modern world subside into something very mysterious and surreal. Bergman's style removes time from the equation of film. Time, as we know it, takes a back-seat to objects, people, and places. Real life becomes more dreamlike than any dream, and the darkest and most mysterious corner of the universe becomes the human mind.

This is a fantastic movie.