"The Magician" had an understandable plot unlike some of Bergman's films. It's his usual psychological drama with some lighter moments along the way, especially when the secondary characters are interacting.
We have a performance troupe in trouble, this time in 1846 somewhere in Sweden. "Dr." Albert Emanuel Vogler (Max von Sydow) is a performer that does magic as well as other tricks on the minds of his audience. The troupe has been in legal trouble on several recent occasions, so they are travelling under disguise. Albert pretends to be mute. His wife, Manda (Ingrid Thulin) is disguised as a young male ward of Albert's who is learning the trade. Also part of the troupe are: Granny (Naima Wifstrand) who sells potions for love and other purposes, and who has great insight into people's personalities; Tubal (Åke Fridell), the promoter and speaker for the troupe; and Simson (Lars Ekborg) the young driver of their coach.
In travelling they pick up a dying actor, Johan (Bengt Ekerot), who has some insightful comments before he dies, and his corpse plays a significant role later in the film. The troupe is stopped at a large estate belonging to Consul Egerman (Erland Josephson) because they are suspected of being fraudulent. Also there are the local Police Superintendent, Starbeck (Toivo Pawlo) who is a pompous ass, and Minister of Health, Vergerus (Gunnar Björnstrand) who is the primary interrogator.
There are the usual romantic links and uncovered secrets during the film that climaxes in a performance for everyone in the household that ends in Vogler's apparent death by a burly stable hand who soon commits suicide because of what he thought he had done. The Minister of Health performs an autopsy, inadvertently on the body of the poor dead actor, Johan, and we learn that Vogler is still alive and playing a number of tricks on Minister Vergerus after the conclusion of the autopsy. In the end the troupe achieves a victory of sorts.
Some of Bergman's dark perspectives come through consistently. At one point Minister Vergerus tells Manda, after she has confessed that the troupe's act is all a fake: "But there are no miracles. It's always the props and the patter that must do the work. The clergy is in the same sad boat. God is silent while men babble on." And in other exchanges we learn there is no truth in this world.
This was an stimulating movie that has been overshadowed by some of the other films Bergman made before and after "The Magician" that won broad acclaim.
We have a performance troupe in trouble, this time in 1846 somewhere in Sweden. "Dr." Albert Emanuel Vogler (Max von Sydow) is a performer that does magic as well as other tricks on the minds of his audience. The troupe has been in legal trouble on several recent occasions, so they are travelling under disguise. Albert pretends to be mute. His wife, Manda (Ingrid Thulin) is disguised as a young male ward of Albert's who is learning the trade. Also part of the troupe are: Granny (Naima Wifstrand) who sells potions for love and other purposes, and who has great insight into people's personalities; Tubal (Åke Fridell), the promoter and speaker for the troupe; and Simson (Lars Ekborg) the young driver of their coach.
In travelling they pick up a dying actor, Johan (Bengt Ekerot), who has some insightful comments before he dies, and his corpse plays a significant role later in the film. The troupe is stopped at a large estate belonging to Consul Egerman (Erland Josephson) because they are suspected of being fraudulent. Also there are the local Police Superintendent, Starbeck (Toivo Pawlo) who is a pompous ass, and Minister of Health, Vergerus (Gunnar Björnstrand) who is the primary interrogator.
There are the usual romantic links and uncovered secrets during the film that climaxes in a performance for everyone in the household that ends in Vogler's apparent death by a burly stable hand who soon commits suicide because of what he thought he had done. The Minister of Health performs an autopsy, inadvertently on the body of the poor dead actor, Johan, and we learn that Vogler is still alive and playing a number of tricks on Minister Vergerus after the conclusion of the autopsy. In the end the troupe achieves a victory of sorts.
Some of Bergman's dark perspectives come through consistently. At one point Minister Vergerus tells Manda, after she has confessed that the troupe's act is all a fake: "But there are no miracles. It's always the props and the patter that must do the work. The clergy is in the same sad boat. God is silent while men babble on." And in other exchanges we learn there is no truth in this world.
This was an stimulating movie that has been overshadowed by some of the other films Bergman made before and after "The Magician" that won broad acclaim.