A married daughter who longs for her mother's love is visited by the latter, a successful concert pianist.
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Title: Autumn Sonata (1978)
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| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Ingrid Bergman | ... | Charlotte Andergast | |
| Liv Ullmann | ... | Eva | |
| Lena Nyman | ... | Helena | |
| Halvar Björk | ... | Viktor | |
| Marianne Aminoff | ... | Charlotte's private secretary | |
 |
Arne Bang-Hansen | ... | Uncle Otto |
| Gunnar Björnstrand | ... | Paul | |
| Erland Josephson | ... | Josef | |
| Georg Løkkeberg | ... | Leonardo | |
| Mimi Pollak | ... | Piano instructor | |
|
|
Linn Ullmann | ... | Eva as a child |
After having neglected her children for many years, world famous pianist Charlotte visits her daughter Eva in her home. To her surprise she finds her other daughter, Helena, there as well. Helena is mentally disabled, and Eva has taken Helena out of the institution where their mother had placed her. The tension between Charlotte and Eva only builds up slowly, until a nightly conversation releases all the things they have wanted to tell each other. Written by Mattias Thuresson
Ingmar Bergman claimed, in the DVD-introduction, that Ingrid Bergman told him that she wanted to make a film with him. The result was, and still is, a cinematographic masterpiece that compromises neither with style or emotion to get the message out. Ingrid Bergman is simply astonishing in the role as the world famous singer that after years of neglecting her children returns to find her oldest daughter full of hatred towards her. A hatred she doesn't understand, somewhere inside being a child needing attention herself. The tension between mother and daughter is building up, at first it is jolly but soon we see cracks in the surface of both Ingrid Bergman's glamorous Charlotte and Liv Ullman's quiet and suppressed Eva.
"Höstsonaten" is beautiful, but it takes its toll on the viewer. If you aren't prepared for it, it can be an emotional roller coaster ride that leaves you chocked when its over. The beauty and the ugliness of the human soul, ripped apart by anger, disease and sadness, is clear in this work of art.