Winter Light (1963) Nattvardsgästerna (original title)

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writer:

Ingmar Bergman (writer)

Release Date:

11 February 1963 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

On a cold winter's Sunday, the pastor of a small rural church (Tomas Ericsson) performs service for...

Plot Keywords:

Faith | Pastor | Winter | Suicide | Priest

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Ingrid Thulin	...	Märta Lundberg, Schoolteacher
Gunnar Björnstrand	...	Tomas Ericsson, Pastor
Gunnel Lindblom	...	Karin Persson
Max von Sydow	...	Jonas Persson
Allan Edwall	...	Algot Frövik, Sexton
Kolbjörn Knudsen	...	Knut Aronsson, Warden
Olof Thunberg	...	Fredrik Blom, Organist
Elsa Ebbesen	...	Magdalena Ledfors, Widow
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lars-Olof Andersson	...	Young boy (uncredited)
Eddie Axberg	...	Johan Strand, Schoolboy (uncredited)
Tor Borong	...	Johan Åkerblom, Homesteader (uncredited)
Lars-Owe Carlberg	...	Parish Constable (uncredited)
Ingmari Hjort	...	Persson's daughter (uncredited)
Stefan Larsson	...	Persson's son (uncredited)
Johan Olafs	...	Gentleman with Horse (uncredited)
Bertha Sånnell	...	Hanna Appelblad, Baker with Daughter (uncredited)
Christer Öhman	...	Young boy (uncredited)

Directed by
Ingmar Bergman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ingmar Bergman		writer

Produced by
Allan Ekelund	....	producer

Cinematography by
Sven Nykvist

Film Editing by
Ulla Ryghe

Production Design by
P.A. Lundgren

Costume Design by
Mago

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lenn Hjortzberg	....	assistant director

Art Department
Karl-Arne Bergman	....	props

Sound Department
Evald Andersson	....	sound effects
Stig Flodin	....	sound
Brian Wikström	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Rolf Holmquist	....	assistant camera
Peter Wester	....	assistant camera
Gerhard Carlsson	....	electrician (uncredited)

Other crew
Lars-Owe Carlberg	....	location manager
Katinka Faragó	....	continuity clerk
Börje Lundh	....	mask

Production Companies

• Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Distributors

• Filmipaja (1963) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Janus Films (1963) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Tartan Video (1993) (UK) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Moskwood Media (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Gutek Film (2007) (Poland) (all media)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Criterion Collection, The (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)

Also Known As:

"Nattvardsgästerna" - Sweden (original title)

Runtime:

81 min

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | UK:A (original rating) | West Germany:16 | USA:Not Rated | Netherlands:18 (orginal rating)

Filming Locations:

Dalarnas län, Sweden

Company:

Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Trivia:

A considerable amount of the scenes had to be re-shot due to technical problems with sound and film stock.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Märta's near-sightedness is mentioned in the dialogue when she says that without her glasses, Tomas appears fuzzy to her. He even counts her nearsightedness as one of the things he hates about her. But the lenses she wears appear to be of clear glass.

Quotes:

Algot Frövik, Sexton:The passion of Christ, his suffering... Wouldn't you say the focus on his suffering is all wrong?
Tomas Ericsson, Pastor:What do you mean?
Algot Frövik, Sexton:This emphasis on physical pain. It couldn't have been all that bad. It may sound presumptuous of me - but in my humble way, I've suffered as much physical pain as Jesus. And his torments were rather brief. Lasting some four hours, I gather? I feel that he was tormented far worse on an other level...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Bergman Island (2004) (TV)

Captivating, but so cold

This is a captivating film, one of Bergman's most inward-looking and cold pieces.

The performances are terrific. Gunnar Bjornstrand is at his excellent best, Max von Syndow is predictably good. I would single out the women performers for particular praise in this film: Ingrid Thulin is outstanding as the spinster who cannot break the ice that encloses Bjornstrand's pastor. Gunnel Lindblom plays a small but superb part as the desperate wife of the suicidal von Syndow.

This is not plot and action stuff, nor is it any good for you if seeing depression in others makes you depressed. It is a microscope study of desperation and depression. It is a small canvas film – my personal preference is for Bergman's larger canvas work such as The Seventh Seal and especially Wild Strawberries. Of his darker, psychological work, again I would express a preference for Persona and also Through a Glass Darkly. But I'm comparing greatness with greatness – if you like Bergman's work this one's a must see.