Winter Light (1963)

A small town priest struggles with his faith.

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writer:

Ingmar Bergman

Stars:

Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Björnstrand, Gunnel Lindblom

2 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ingrid Thulin	...	Märta Lundberg
Gunnar Björnstrand	...	Tomas Ericsson
Gunnel Lindblom	...	Karin Persson
Max von Sydow	...	Jonas Persson
Allan Edwall	...	Algot Frövik
Kolbjörn Knudsen	...	Knut Aronsson
Olof Thunberg	...	Fredrik Blom
Elsa Ebbesen	...	Magdalena Ledfors

Storyline

On a cold winter's Sunday, the pastor of a small rural church (Tomas Ericsson) performs service for a tiny congregation; though he is suffering from a cold and a severe crisis of faith. After the service, he attempts to console a fisherman (Jonas Persson) who is tormented by anxiety, but Tomas can only speak about his own troubled relationship with God. A school teacher (Maerta Lundberg) offers Tomas her love as consolation for his loss of faith. But Tomas resists her love as desperately as she offers it to him. This is the second in Bergman's trilogy of films dealing with man's relationship with God.

---

Plot Keywords:

atheist | loss of faith | winter | priest | existentialism | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Release Date:

5 April 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Winter Light

Filming Locations:

Rättvik, Dalarnas län, Sweden

Company Credits

Production Co:

Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ingmar Bergman's friend, the writer and later film director Vilgot Sjöman, was early involved in the project. He would later become the film's assistant director, and documented his experiences in the book, "L-136: Diary with Ingmar Bergman".

---

Goofs

When Tomas leaves the church to go to the scene of the suicide there is a lot of snow on his car and on the ground. But, when he arrives at the scene, the car is clean and there is no sign of snow on the ground.

---

Quotes

Tomas Ericsson, Pastor: We live our simple daily lives and atrocities shatter the security of the world. It's so overwhelming and God seems so very remote.
Karin Persson: That's right.
Tomas Ericsson, Pastor: I feel so helpless. I don't know what to say.

---

Connections

Follows Through a Glass Darkly (1961)

User Reviews

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.