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good place to start

mofo

about 3 years ago

i’ve been wanting to get into bergman for a while now and i was just wondering where you guys think i should start

Filmy

about 3 years ago

I started with Wild Strawberries and Fanny and Alexander (Theatrical and Television versions)
Next in line was Seventh Seal and Faith Trilogy (Winterlight, Glass Darkly)
somewhere in between Persona and Cries and Whispers happened.
and finally Scenes From a Marriage which I think is an unparalleled achievement and my favorite’est.
I haven’t seen so many others mainly Shame, The Passion of Anna and The Virgin Spring

All these listed here run at more or less the same wavelength and are really deep, dense experiences, so it wouldn’t matter much where you start for Bergman, that man is a wonder.

mofo

about 3 years ago

ok thanks
good advice

Matt Parks

about 3 years ago

Yeah, if I had to pick one film to start with, either Wild Strawberries or Seventh Seal.

mofo

about 3 years ago

well fantastic seventh seal is about to be re-released on blu-ray

User de Faux-Fuyants

about 3 years ago

Wild Strawberries

User de Faux-Fuyants

about 3 years ago

Wild Strawberries

Edouard Hill

about 3 years ago

This is a REALLY tough one, but I’m gonna have to say that Filmy Andy had aa good start. I went Seventh Seal, Cries and Whispers, Sawdust and Tinsel, Fanny & Alexander ….

Zachary Phillip Brailsf​ord

about 3 years ago

I started with Cries and Whispers, which may or may not have been a great place to start off. I mean, it certainly was great for me, as it made me love Bergman right away (absolutely love his chamber dramas), but a film that hard to watch could push people away, if you’re not careful.

Savvy

Joshua W

about 3 years ago

I’d go with The Virgin Spring. It’s got a lot of the philosophical rumination that his other work has, but also a more conventional narrative.

NEONBEA​R

about 3 years ago

i’m in the same boat. i’m gonna make my first ones wild strawberries and the seventh seal.

Drew Gregory

about 3 years ago

These were the first three I watched:
1. The Seventh Seal
2. Wild Strawberries
3. Persona

Bergman is one of my favorite directors and Persona, and Fanny and Alexander are my favorites. It doesn’t matter where you start, just start!

Crap Monster

about 3 years ago

Wild Strawberries was the first I saw personally, in a introductory film class. All around a good introduction to Bergman and stll to this day, consider it one of my favs.

Adempti​on

about 3 years ago

Here’s how I discovered Bergman:

1. The Seventh Seal
2. Persona
3. Wild Strawberries
4. Fanny and Alexander (TV)
5. The Virgin Spring
6. Through a Glass Darkly
7. Scenes from a Marriage

And then I gave myself a break from Bergman.

My favorites are The Seventh Seal and Fanny and Alexander (TV).

Howard Fritzso​n

about 3 years ago

“Summer Interlude.” No question. I think it has also been called “Illicit Interlude.”

Col. Dax

about 3 years ago

If you get the channel TCM on June 4th (my mother’s birthday) from 9:00 PM ET to 6:00 AM ET they’re playing a whole chunk of Bergman films.

The Seventh Seal 9:00
Wild Strawberries 10:45
Persona 12:30
Hour of the Wolf 2:00
The Passion of Anna 3:45

That’s about as good a starting place as any.

Drew Gregory

about 3 years ago

Sweet Hour of the Wolf! I have been looking for that film for awhile. Thanks.

mofo

about 3 years ago

wow thanks for the info as it were, ill be sure to check that out
i pre-ordered the seventh seal on blu-ray, so that’s probably going to be where i start out

José Menezes

about 3 years ago

Started with PERSONA and never stopped.

Not really a popular choice (though most – including Bergman himself, who said so in the amazing swedish doc – will agree that it’s one of his bests, if not THE best), but worked for me.

Start with the most unaccessible!

José Menezes

about 3 years ago

Started with PERSONA and never stopped.

Not really a popular choice (though most – including Bergman himself, who said so in the amazing swedish doc – will agree that it’s one of his bests, if not THE best), but worked for me.

Start with the most unaccessible!

andrew hoeller​ing

about 3 years ago

Ingmar Bergman to me is second to none. He understood the medium as few others, and used it brilliantly to communicate his love and anguish at being human. The result of such creative honesty is that his films are timeless. He made no compromises and stood virtually alone in reminding us that today’s commercial medium can still be used for the highest personal and artistic purposes.
The suggestions here make a lot of sense.It doesn’t matter where you start, but start, and start soon.

Joshua W

about 3 years ago

“The Passion of Anna 3:45”
Anyone who hasn’t seen this should see it. It’s my favorite Bergman, so uhh… don’t go to sleep?

Doinel

about 3 years ago

I’d start near the beginning. “Sawdust and Tinsel” introduces a number of his future themes and it’s a very well made film.

mofo

about 3 years ago

josh god invented tivo so that you dont have to stay up until 3:45 to watch a movie :)

Pajamas

about 3 years ago

With filmmakers as prolific and wondrous as Bergman, I agree that it’s hard to go wrong no matter where you start.

I’d advise you to start with Wild Strawberries and once you make your way to Cries and Whispers you’ll have a new favorite director. Hopefully.

juan jose namnun

almost 2 years ago

“shame”
its a war and nightmare movie easier to get by than his most heavy stuff
so its
“crisis”
almost like an old Hollywood movie. or…
“smiles of a summer night”
you can not really distinguish it for a good Hitchcock or a fine billy wilder of the 40s

juan jose namnun

almost 2 years ago

“shame”
its a war and nightmare movie easier to get by than his most heavy stuff
so its
“crisis”
almost like an old Hollywood movie. or…
“smiles of a summer night”
you can not really distinguish it for a good Hitchcock or a fine billy wilder of the 40s