Autumn Sonata (1978)

A married daughter who longs for her mother's love is visited by the latter, a successful concert pianist.

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writer:

Ingmar Bergman

Stars:

Ingrid Bergman, Liv Ullmann, Lena Nyman

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

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

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

pianist | marriage | child neglect | dysfunctional family | mother daughter estrangement | 

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot in Norway, during Ingmar Bergman's exile from Sweden due to an accusation of tax evasion.

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Goofs

In the dialogue scene where Charlotte is lying on the floor and Eva is sitting on the sofa behind her, the shadow of the boom mic is visible on the curtains when the camera pans to Eva for a few seconds.

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Quotes

Eva: The mother's injuries are to be handed down to the daughter. The mother's failures are to be paid for by the daughter. The mother's unhappiness is to be the daughter's unhappiness. It's as if the umbilical cord had never been cut.

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Connections

Featured in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #2.6 (2011)

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Soundtracks

Préludium Nr 2a, a-moll
Written by Frédéric Chopin (as Chopin)
Performed by Käbi Laretei

User Reviews

One of the very, very best

This is one of the very best Ingmar Bergman films I have seen, and therefore one of the very best films.

Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullman are simply amazing together as a mother and daughter combination from hell. Ingrid Bergman is terrific, despite a deliberately naff hairdo which makes her look like Queen Elizabeth II of the UK rather than the faded beauty she is. Liv Ullman also has visual nuances to enhance her character - the glasses, platted hair and jumpers enabling this beautiful woman to look frumpy.

The acting is simply amazing, even through the subtitles you can tell. Fortunately Scandinavian vocal nuance is similar enough to English to enable us non-Swedish speakers to appreciate the acting.

Of course, it has the Ingmar Bergman darkness to it. The sister with the horrible degenerative disease, the drowned toddler, the selfishness of the Ingrid Bergman character. If you get depressed along with the characters in films like this, you might be better off giving this one a miss.

But for those with a taste for this type of claustrophobic drama, this is one of the most powerful films you will ever see.

Details

Country:

Sweden France West Germany UK

Language:

Swedish English

Release Date:

18 October 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

Autumn Sonata

Filming Locations:

Norway

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,338

Company Credits

Production Co:

Personafilm, Filmédis, Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1