Fanny and Alexander
There are two Criterion versions for this film: The „normal“ version and a more ‚deluxe‘ box with the TV version and the film version. Since I have yet to see the TV version, I absolutely want to get myself the deluxe box one day. The first thing I realized when I saw „Fanny and Alexander“ was that I have found it to be too short with its 3 hours. There is just so incredibly much that the film is saying, although nothing really seems to be happening. It’s a complex slice of life and with the multitude of characters, you’d wish every single one of them (except for Alexander as the main protagonist) to be more developed and given more screentime. It is especially notable how Fanny, whose name appears in the title after all, actually didn’t get much screentime at all.
In some article I read earlier, it was stated that „Fanny and Alexander“ is not as depressive and dark as Bergman’s other works. This is funny, because I didn’t perceive „Wild Strawberries“ as very dark, but I think that „Fanny and Alexander“ has some very depressive parts, especially with the bishop. Even though I knew that the children would get saved at some point, I was still afraid about their horrible situation. „Fanny and Alexander“ was depressive in the way it felt real, while „Wild Strawberries“ was just… black and white.
I really would never recommend „Fanny and Alexander“. It’s an utterly weird film, it doesn’t really have a climax, it’s depressive at some times and the film takes a long time introducing characters that don’t re-appear in the film again. At most, they play a very indirect role for the understanding and the happenings of the end of the film. To me, this slice-of-life type film is very intriguing, but it really is very different from what you usually would expect from a movie. But it’s great, and I am amazed how every single Bergman film I have seen so far („Persona“, „Wild Strawberries“ and this) turned out to be absolutely great, despite the great differences between the films. It’s astonishing how versatile (and productive!) Bergman was.
I suppose I have to watch „Tystnaden“ now. And “Smiles of a Summer Night”. And “Cries and Whispers”. And „The Seventh Seal“. And “Through a Glass Darkly”. And… too many more.