2014 Blind Spot Series: Persona

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What I knew going in: Alex and Josh love this film. There was one scene I instantly recognized. 

 This is my first Ingmar Bergman movie. My Bergy cherry is broken, I'm so proud. *tear* I have about 5 other movies of his in my Netflix queue, and two more on my Blind Spot, but that one is reserved for December.

 Alma (Bibi Andersson) is a nurse who's been charged with looking after Elizabet (Liv Ullman) an actress who has stopped speaking. She seems perfectly healthy, so Alma takes her to a colleague's summer house to get away from it all. Alma pours her heart out to Elizabet, who doesn't respond, just listens. Eventually, the lines get blurred. 

 Wow. What the fuck? I feel like I have a million different theories about what I have just seen, but in a way, do any of them matter? Is there really a right or wrong here? Bergman just wanted to mess with people, right? The only things I'm sure of are that Andersson gave one of the best performances I've ever seen, and I'm jealous of Ullman's lips. I wish I had something more eloquent to add about a film like this, but honestly. I'm just kind of speechless.

 This film was quite the experience. I wasn't crazy about the intro, but it captivated me through out, and even if I can't place my finger on what exactly I thought happened, I'm happy to have seen this, and I look forward to the rest of Bergman's work.

Recommended: Yes

 Grade: A

 Memorable Quote: "I'm not like you. I don't feel like you." - Alma (Bibi Andersson)

Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 19, 2014 at 8:59 AM

    YAY!!! Bergman is such a treasure! This is a great place to start, too. So glad you loved this. I hope Scenes from a Marriage is in your queue. If it isn't...put it there! My favorite Bergman and one of the greatest films to ever broach marriage in it's entirety. It broke me!

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJune 19, 2014 at 11:18 AM

      I will have to throw that one in there! I have Fanny and Alexander, Wild Strawberries, and Smiles of a Summer Night in there at the moment.

      Delete
  2. m.brownJune 19, 2014 at 10:13 AM

    Well, my Bergy cherry is firmly intact. Firmly. But, after reading this post, I think I'm ready to lay back and let the magic happen.

    Great post!

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  3. ElinaJune 19, 2014 at 3:41 PM

    Awesome review, Brittani! Bergy's making all the good girls go bad it seems, both me and m.brown are already on board and all...

    ReplyDelete
  4. John HitchcockJune 19, 2014 at 4:46 PM

    I think I might have seen the opening of this film in one of my classes. I don't know much about Bergman but we do have some common ground seeing as he was also very critical of Jean-Luc Godard's filmmaking.

    I seem to recall the opening scene was very Lynchian. Might be worth trying to watch at some point.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJune 20, 2014 at 9:39 AM

      It reminded me a lot of what Terrance Malik did in Tree of Life (which I hated, btw) Kind of "arty for the sake of art" which probably isn't a very popular opinion.

      Delete
  5. thevoid99June 19, 2014 at 6:07 PM

    Congratulations on popping your Bergman cherry. I hope you enjoy the rest of his work as this is my 2nd favorite film of his so far as the one I was enthralled by was Cries & Whispers. So far, I've covered some of the essentials with another I'm planning to watch later this summer. Bergman is a cinematic god.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamJune 20, 2014 at 9:38 AM

      I definitely see why he has so many fans now. I'm looking forward to the rest of the ones I have in my queue.

      Delete
  6. JoshJune 20, 2014 at 10:20 AM

    Woo hoo! So glad you liked this one. I'd recommend adding Bergman's faith trilogy (Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light and The Silence) and The Seventh Seal to your queue as well. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Alex WithrowJune 20, 2014 at 2:09 PM

    Ahhh, to go back and be able to watch my first Bergman again. He's my all-time favorite filmmaker, and Persona is my favorite film that he made. So obviously, I'm thrilled that you liked this one. I know we talked about it a bit on Twitter, but I've never tried to explain this one, you know? Best to just let it intoxicate you.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJune 21, 2014 at 6:59 AM

      Yes, I thought of our conversation when I was writing my review. It just makes sense to let this film wash over you and not try to analyze it.

      Delete

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