Through a Glass Darkly (1961)

Recently released from a mental hospital; Karin rejoins her emotionally disconnected family and their island home, only to slip from reality as she begins to believe she is being visited by God.

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writer:

Ingmar Bergman

Stars:

Harriet Andersson, Gunnar Björnstrand, Max von Sydow

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Harriet Andersson	...	Karin
Gunnar Björnstrand	...	David
Max von Sydow	...	Martin
Lars Passgård	...	Minus

Storyline

A young woman, Karin, has recently returned to the family island after spending some time in a mental hospital. On the island with her is her lonely brother and kind, but increasingly desperate husband ('Max von Sydow'). They are joined by Karin's father ('Gunnar Björnstrand'), who is a world-traveling author that is estranged to his children. The film depicts how Karin's grip on reality slowly slips away and how the bonds between the family members are changing in light of this fact.

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Plot Keywords:

mental illness | father son relationship | father daughter relationship | brother sister relationship | schizophrenia | 

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Taglines:

Winner Swedish Academy Award 1962

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish Latin

Release Date:

16 October 1961 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Through a Glass Darkly

Filming Locations:

Fårö, Gotlands län, Sweden

Company Credits

Production Co:

Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #209.

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Goofs

As Minus paints the chair, the amount of paint on the chair changes between shots.

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Quotes

Fredrik: Father, I'm scared. When I was hugging Karin in the boat, reality was revealed. Do you know what I mean?
David: I do.
Fredrik: Reality was revealed, and I collapsed. It's like a dream. Anything can happen. Anything.
David: I know.
Fredrik: I can't live in this new world.
David: Yes, you can. But you must have a support.
Fredrik: What kind of support? You mean a God? Give me a proof of his existance. You can't.
David: I can. But you gotta pay attention to what I say.
Fredrik: Yes. I need to listen.
David: I can only tell you a thought of my own hopes. It is to know...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Three Scenes with Ingmar Bergman (1975)

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Soundtracks

Sarabande from Suite No. 2 in D minor for Violoncello
Written by Johann Sebastian Bach

User Reviews

A Haunting, Somber Movie That Stays With You Long Afterwards

Bergman's haunting, somber feature "Through a Glass Darkly" is the kind of distinctive, sometimes uncomfortable, and carefully-crafted movie that can stick in the minds of its viewers long afterwards. Its combination of images, scenery, characters, and themes provides plenty of things to think about, more than could be assimilated in any one viewing. Bergman is one of the very few film-makers who had the knack for making this kind of feature coherent and memorable at the same time.

The story could hardly be more efficient. The very small cast and the tight scenario place a premium on the writing, acting, and photography. The characters have a good balance of similarities and differences that makes for a wide range of possibilities, and the story makes good use of them. The seaside setting is used nicely, with the beautiful scenery and thematic images both complementing the story. The old shipwreck is skillfully worked into a psychologically harrowing sequence.

The setting is combined with the family relationships, biblical allusions, philosophical questions, and much more, to raise a wide range of interesting and thoughtful questions. Although "Through a Glass Darkly" does not feature the extensive use of unusual imagery found in Bergman features like "The Seventh Seal" or "Persona", or the dream sequence from "Wild Strawberries", in its own way it is also effective.