Due to his battle with the Swedish tax authorities at the time, Ingmar Bergman produced Autumn Sonata through his West German company, Personafilm GmbH, with main financing from Lew Grade's British ITC Film, and shot the film in an old film studio outside Oslo in Norway. Although formally a German production (with the German title, Herbstsonate, being the official original title), the dialogue is in Swedish, most of the crew and actors were Swedish, and the world premiere was in Stockholm.
Autumn Sonata
(1978)Höstsonaten 8
| Country | |
| Spoken Language | english, swedish |
| Runtime | 1 hr 39 min |
| Premiere: World | $39 031 October 8, 1978 |
| Premiere: USA | October 18, 1978 |
| Digital: World | November 20, 2018 |
| Parental Advisory | Frightening & Intense Scenes |
| |
| Production Companies | |
| Also Known As | Herbstsonate West Germany Sonate d'automne France |
Description
A devoted wife is visited by her mother, a successful concert pianist who had little time for her when she was young.Сast and Crew
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A profound psychological drama by Ingmar Bergman about the complex relationship between mother and daughter, resentment, guilt and the desire for forgiveness. This chamber, emotionally charged work was the first and only collaboration between Ingmar Bergman and the legendary actress Ingrid Bergman, for whom this film was the last in her film career.
The plot revolves around the meeting of the famous pianist Charlotte (Ingrid Bergman) with her daughter Eva (Liv Ullmann) after many years of separation. Eva, living in seclusion with her husband Viktor and sick sister Helena, invites her mother to visit, hoping to improve their relationship. However, old grievances and hidden conflicts are revealed between them. At night, during a frank conversation, Eva accuses Charlotte of coldness, selfishness and inability to be a loving mother, and Charlotte defends herself by revealing her own internal traumas.
The central theme of the film is the emotional distance between parents and children and the consequences of repressed feelings. Eva is the image of a woman who grew up in the shadow of a star mother whose love was conditional and dismissive. Charlotte is not a caricature of a "bad mother", but a person who is unable to give what she herself was deprived of – sincere emotional closeness.
Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullmann create a powerful duet, turning dialogues into tense psychological duels. Ingrid Bergman shows the complex nature of Charlotte – behind the mask of a successful and strong woman hides the fear of old age, loneliness and a sense of guilt. Liv Ullmann embodies the image of a vulnerable, but deeply unhappy daughter, whose life was poisoned by the emotional coldness of her mother.
Visually, the film is minimalist: the action takes place almost exclusively within the walls of the house, which enhances the feeling of isolation and emotional tension. Cinematographer Sven Nykvist uses soft lighting and close-ups to emphasize the inner experiences of the heroines. The camera is fixed on the actresses' faces, allowing the viewer to literally "read" their thoughts and emotions.
Music plays an important role in the film – the works of Chopin and Bach become not only the background, but also a metaphor for the rift between mother and daughter. Musical scenes reveal the characters of the heroines: Charlotte’s technique and cold perfectionism are contrasted with Eva’s emotional vulnerability.
"Höstsonaten" is a film about unforgiven hurts, the complexities of motherly love, and the need for honest dialogue. Bergman shows how emotional traumas from childhood can poison life into adulthood and how difficult it is to break this vicious circle. Although the film is full of pain and conflict, there is a sense of hope in its ending – a possibility, however faint, for forgiveness and inner liberation.
Bergman (one might even say the Bergmans) cuts without a knife. A wonderful session of mutual tearing apart the souls of mother and daughter. The composure of the presentation of some scenes took me aback – but, if you think about it, this is the only way to get as deep into the souls as possible.
no words. scene of a quarrel in a marriage story, nervously smoking on the sidelines. a drama about children and parents has never walked on such pins and needles as Bergman’s. an incredible game with color scheme, working on the plot and leading to the overarching theme of the work
It’s great when there are films like this. The mood is like an autumn film, that mysterious sad time that has its own atmosphere that I like. A strong film, sadness is shown as art, that it is rare and makes you think about your relationship with your parents.
Almost all of the screen time is taken up by dialogue, but it gives you goosebumps, like a knife to the throat.
Such a painful, but such a subtle movie about parents, children, the clash of generations and feelings. And about total dislike.
The film is about, to put it mildly, the difficult family relationship between a daughter and mother. It’s just classic Bergman and nothing more.
A theatrical production under the guise of a film (there are only flashbacks from the cinema that are not particularly necessary). The unnaturalness of the dialogues, as well as abrupt transitions to emotional moments, make it difficult to fully believe in what is happening. However, the acting work partially compensates for this; Ingrid Bergman is magnificent.
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