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Sommarnattens leende
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Sommarnattens leende (1955) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   3,696 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Ingmar Bergman
Writer:
Ingmar Bergman (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Smiles of a Summer Night on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
23 December 1957 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Romance more
Tagline:
A Sexy Frolic About the Sport of Love
Plot:
A small town at the turn of the century. Lawer Fredrik EGerman has an ingenue-wife, Anne, and a grown-up son... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 3 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Redgrave And Richardson Heading To Broadway?
 (From WENN. 20 February 2009, 11:25 AM, PST)

Ingmar Bergman: 1918-2007
 (From IMDb News. 30 July 2007)

User Comments:
Beautiful title more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Ulla Jacobsson ... Anne Egerman
Eva Dahlbeck ... Desiree Armfeldt
Harriet Andersson ... Petra the Maid
Margit Carlqvist ... Countess Charlotte Malcolm (as Margit Carlquist)
Gunnar Björnstrand ... Fredrik Egerman
Jarl Kulle ... Count Carl Magnus Malcolm
Åke Fridell ... Frid the Groom
Björn Bjelfvenstam ... Henrik Egerman (as Björn Bjelvenstam)
Naima Wifstrand ... Mrs. Armfeldt
Jullan Kindahl ... Beata, cook
Gull Natorp ... Malla
Birgitta Valberg ... Actress
Bibi Andersson ... Actress
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Smiles of a Summer Night (USA)
more
Runtime:
108 min | Argentina:110 min | France:105 min (2001 DVD release)
Country:
Sweden
Language:
Swedish
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
USA:Approved | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-11 (re-rating) | Finland:K-16 (original rating) | Portugal:17 (censored version) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) (1995) | UK:X (original rating) (1956) (cut) | Singapore:PG

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
On Time magazine's 100 greatest films list. more
Quotes:
Mrs. Armfeldt: Why is youth so terribly unmerciful? And who has given it permission to be that way? more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in Love and Death (1975) more
Soundtrack:
BORT MED SORG OCH BITTERHET more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
19 out of 25 people found the following comment useful:-
Beautiful title, 3 April 2005
8/10
Author: Wayne Malin (wwaayynnee51@hotmail.com) from United States

A rare comedy from director Ingmar Bergman.

It takes place at the turn of the century. Fredrik Egerman is an old, cynical man who is married to beautiful, young (20) Anne. She can't have sex with him--she's too afraid. He knows and agrees to be patient. He also has a son from a previous marriage (Henrik) who is attracted to Anne. He's also attracted to the maid Petra. Then there's Desiree, a former mistress of Fredrik who is now sleeping with Malcolm (who's also married) and still attracted to Fredrik. Got all that? They all end up spending a summer weekend at a beautiful house in the woods. Things come to a head.

I've always wanted to see this--the title alone is beautiful. I did see it in a revival theatre in the 1980s--I hated it. The print was lousy and edited! During a fairly explicit (for 1955) talk about sex the subtitles disappeared! Just saw it again--unedited and in pretty good shape. While I don't think this is a masterpiece (I'm not a Bergman fan) I did like this.

It is funny--but pretty subtle. The relationships are all complicated but you do have them straight by the end. What's really good about this film is how Bergman treats (and shows) his female characters. Except for Anne (but she changes) they're strong, stand up for themselves and find men and their ways amusing--some of Desirre's looks were very funny. Also, in the form of Petra, they want sex and have no problem letting men know. For 1955 audiences this must have been shocking--Petra (almost) bares her breast and the sexual talk between women is very frank.

The acting is good by everybody...but the film is lacking in romance. I never believed any of these characters loved each other. Also it's slow-moving but it all ends happily. So I did like it--I give it an 8.

Later musicalized by Stephen Sondheim as "A Little Night Music" and disastrously remade (sort of) in Woody Allen's "A Midsummers Night Sex Comedy". Avoid that one at all costs.

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