Comments on: In Memory of Ingmar Bergman http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/01/in-memory-of-ingmar-bergman/ ...reason and emotion, shaken and stirred... Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:04:44 +0530 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Dev http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/01/in-memory-of-ingmar-bergman/#comment-621 Dev Fri, 01 May 2009 16:09:37 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/01/in-memory-of-ingmar-bergman/#comment-621 Thanks! Well, darkness doesnt really bother me too much, but as I said, Bergman is bit too dark for me. :) Cries and whispers is in my list too..but do watch wildlife strawberries soon if you can..that's supposed to be Bergman's best film by many.. Thanks! Well, darkness doesnt really bother me too much, but as I said, Bergman is bit too dark for me. :)
Cries and whispers is in my list too..but do watch wildlife strawberries soon if you can..that’s supposed to be Bergman’s best film by many..

]]> By: Mahendra http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/01/in-memory-of-ingmar-bergman/#comment-622 Mahendra Fri, 01 May 2009 03:01:23 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/01/in-memory-of-ingmar-bergman/#comment-622 Dev, thank you so much for taking the pains to type again! I owe you one! :-) I didn't know so many details of which of Allen's work was inspired by which of Bergman's. Thanks for the info. I have seen neither Wild Strawberries, nor Stardust Memories. I will try and see Stardust Memories to start with. You are right. Bergman is not easily 'accessible'. You have described his inaccessibility to the general audience very nicely. You are at least discovering him, I haven't even started! I too watched Seventh Seal during the time of this post, and was able to appreciate it only in parts. The allegory of playing chess with Death was just too overwhelming for me to venture any further or deeper! It will take repeated viewings for me. Unlike you, I am not averse to the darkness; I'm quite comfortable with it. But at times, in day-to-day hectic life, the sophistication required to watch Bergman seems elusive. At times I think I need to take a break for a few days, spend some quiet time at a remote place with nature, and after a week or so of such solitude, I can then watch a Bergman. :-) For e.g., I have Cries and Whispers with me for over 3 years, but haven't seen it yet. I just don't feel ready for it. Allen, on the other hand is thoroughly enjoyable! His brand of 'cerebral humor' - as you put it - makes me feel perfectly at home. Yes, as I said, I will explore your blog purely for selfish reasons - I love to learn! :-) Dev, thank you so much for taking the pains to type again! I owe you one! :-)

I didn’t know so many details of which of Allen’s work was inspired by which of Bergman’s. Thanks for the info. I have seen neither Wild Strawberries, nor Stardust Memories. I will try and see Stardust Memories to start with.

You are right. Bergman is not easily ‘accessible’. You have described his inaccessibility to the general audience very nicely. You are at least discovering him, I haven’t even started! I too watched Seventh Seal during the time of this post, and was able to appreciate it only in parts. The allegory of playing chess with Death was just too overwhelming for me to venture any further or deeper! It will take repeated viewings for me.

Unlike you, I am not averse to the darkness; I’m quite comfortable with it. But at times, in day-to-day hectic life, the sophistication required to watch Bergman seems elusive. At times I think I need to take a break for a few days, spend some quiet time at a remote place with nature, and after a week or so of such solitude, I can then watch a Bergman. :-)

For e.g., I have Cries and Whispers with me for over 3 years, but haven’t seen it yet. I just don’t feel ready for it.

Allen, on the other hand is thoroughly enjoyable! His brand of ‘cerebral humor’ — as you put it — makes me feel perfectly at home.

Yes, as I said, I will explore your blog purely for selfish reasons — I love to learn! :-)

]]> By: Dev http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/01/in-memory-of-ingmar-bergman/#comment-623 Dev Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:58:48 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/01/in-memory-of-ingmar-bergman/#comment-623 Ok, here I go again. :) That was another gem of a post! Bergman is hero of my hero, Woody Allen. Whenever I discover more of Allen, through his biographies and his interviews in those books, shadow of Bergman is always there. Allen's first semi- serious film, after a decade of pure comedies, Love and Death (1975) was a tribute to Bergman's Seventh Seal and for years, until Allen described Match Point his most satisfying experience, Stardust memories (1980) was Allen's most creatively satisfying experience (even though stardust memories failed at box office and even ripped apart by critics). Now, stardust memories was inspired by Allen's most favorite film, Bergman's Wild Strawberries. Like Bergman, Allen's work has recurring themes of Godless Universe, unpredictability of relationships and mortality. Bergman is not easy to watch. His films are not for everybody..not because you cannot grasp his ideas if they were explained, but because Bergman never explains. He dramatizes his ideas subtly, using set ups intended for the well-educated, socially experienced and psychologically sophisticated audience. Iam still discovering Bergman; I recently watched Seventh Seal and boy I fell in love with it. Still, I would imagine that Bergman will remain bit too dark for my sensibilities. I would rather prefer seriousness of Bergman's themes juxtaposed with Allen's brand of cerebral humor; Annie Hall and some other movies of Allen therefore work wonders for me. You can check some of my earlier posts which you might find interesting and even worth contributing with your comments. They are under Film Directors, Filmmaking workshop and Film reviews categories. Ok wait, let me provide you links for some of those posts. Ok, here I go again. :)
That was another gem of a post! Bergman is hero of my hero, Woody Allen. Whenever I discover more of Allen, through his biographies and his interviews in those books, shadow of Bergman is always there. Allen’s first semi– serious film, after a decade of pure comedies, Love and Death (1975) was a tribute to Bergman’s Seventh Seal and for years, until Allen described Match Point his most satisfying experience, Stardust memories (1980) was Allen’s most creatively satisfying experience (even though stardust memories failed at box office and even ripped apart by critics). Now, stardust memories was inspired by Allen’s most favorite film, Bergman’s Wild Strawberries. Like Bergman, Allen’s work has recurring themes of Godless Universe, unpredictability of relationships and mortality.

Bergman is not easy to watch. His films are not for everybody..not because you cannot grasp his ideas if they were explained, but because Bergman never explains. He dramatizes his ideas subtly, using set ups intended for the well-educated, socially experienced and psychologically sophisticated audience. Iam still discovering Bergman; I recently watched Seventh Seal and boy I fell in love with it. Still, I would imagine that Bergman will remain bit too dark for my sensibilities. I would rather prefer seriousness of Bergman’s themes juxtaposed with Allen’s brand of cerebral humor; Annie Hall and some other movies of Allen therefore work wonders for me.

You can check some of my earlier posts which you might find interesting and even worth contributing with your comments. They are under Film Directors, Filmmaking workshop and Film reviews categories. Ok wait, let me provide you links for some of those posts.

]]> By: Mahendra http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/01/in-memory-of-ingmar-bergman/#comment-625 Mahendra Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:25:28 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/01/in-memory-of-ingmar-bergman/#comment-625 Oh no! :-( I checked the comments in admin to see if your comment was marked as pending moderation or sent to the spam folder, but no! It must have been a connection error of some sort. I'm so sorry and feel so bad! Please, please, write again! Oh no! :-(

I checked the comments in admin to see if your comment was marked as pending moderation or sent to the spam folder, but no! It must have been a connection error of some sort. I’m so sorry and feel so bad! Please, please, write again!

]]> By: Dev http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/01/in-memory-of-ingmar-bergman/#comment-624 Dev Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:00:51 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/01/in-memory-of-ingmar-bergman/#comment-624 I wrote a long long comment here talking about Bergman, Allen and giving you some links..when I submitted, it said discarded and that was lost. What do I do now..I dont have energy to write all that again..may be tomorrow..:(( I wrote a long long comment here talking about Bergman, Allen and giving you some links..when I submitted, it said discarded and that was lost.
What do I do now..I dont have energy to write all that again..may be tomorrow..:((

]]> By: mahendrap http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/01/in-memory-of-ingmar-bergman/#comment-618 mahendrap Thu, 02 Aug 2007 07:24:36 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/01/in-memory-of-ingmar-bergman/#comment-618 Mike: You're lucky and endowed to have seen and appreciated so much of his work. Thanks for the tip on The Silence. Let me see if I can catch it. I've decided to be brave and dive! Well, trying to get a pass. Let's see if fortune favors someone as brave as me! Nita: Why don't you come over to Pune? :-) Let me see the situation of the passes. Thanks for the compliment. I did not include any links like I usually do, because this post felt unique to me. It needed to be solemn. It needed to be austere (as in without any adornment or ornamentation) to be true in spirit to the great genius. Mike: You’re lucky and endowed to have seen and appreciated so much of his work. Thanks for the tip on The Silence. Let me see if I can catch it. I’ve decided to be brave and dive! Well, trying to get a pass. Let’s see if fortune favors someone as brave as me!

Nita: Why don’t you come over to Pune? :-) Let me see the situation of the passes. Thanks for the compliment. I did not include any links like I usually do, because this post felt unique to me. It needed to be solemn. It needed to be austere (as in without any adornment or ornamentation) to be true in spirit to the great genius.

]]> By: Nita http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/01/in-memory-of-ingmar-bergman/#comment-619 Nita Thu, 02 Aug 2007 04:59:27 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/01/in-memory-of-ingmar-bergman/#comment-619 I would love to watch his film festival. So Pune is going to screen some of his films huh, wish I was there! the problem is that in mumbai the distances are so long that even if one does see something that one wants to watch, its too far away! In fact I have missed quite a few good films because of this. You've written this post in a very poetic manner Mahendra! Its very moving. I would love to watch his film festival. So Pune is going to screen some of his films huh, wish I was there! the problem is that in mumbai the distances are so long that even if one does see something that one wants to watch, its too far away! In fact I have missed quite a few good films because of this.
You’ve written this post in a very poetic manner Mahendra! Its very moving.

]]> By: Mike Chapman http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/01/in-memory-of-ingmar-bergman/#comment-620 Mike Chapman Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:26:00 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/01/in-memory-of-ingmar-bergman/#comment-620 Hello, Mahendra -- I have not seen even half of Bergman's body of work, but what I have seen has left a lasting impression on my life. And that impression is not a bad one, but one of wonderment at the power of his mind and his medium. You write: "It is a different matter altogether whether I’ll be able to watch any. I’ve not yet decided whether I’m going to try." Please let me encourage you dive in! If you would pick one, watch The Silence (the middle film of a trilogy), and feel the silence it portrays with brilliance and perfection. It's wonderful stuff! Hello, Mahendra — I have not seen even half of Bergman’s body of work, but what I have seen has left a lasting impression on my life. And that impression is not a bad one, but one of wonderment at the power of his mind and his medium. You write: “It is a different matter altogether whether I’ll be able to watch any. I’ve not yet decided whether I’m going to try.” Please let me encourage you dive in! If you would pick one, watch The Silence (the middle film of a trilogy), and feel the silence it portrays with brilliance and perfection. It’s wonderful stuff!

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