The plot of "Bergman Island" begins with the arrival of the protagonists on "Bergman Island", in this case, Faro, where Ingmar Bergman spent the last years of his life. Director and writer Mia Hansen-Love wastes no time placing fictional directors and writers Chris (Vicky Krieps) and Tony (Tim Roth) in their desired destination. From the first to the last scene, they will talk about Bergman's main films, his style, his beliefs, his love stories, his houses, his favorite filming locations. When they create new arguments, they place them on the island where they are, with characters who are also filmmakers driven by Bergmanian passion. They leave the Bergman safari to the Bergman Museum, passing by the house where the man slept and the bed where he filmed his classics.
The main element of surprise in this feature film is the fact that the director does not just constitute an aesthetic or affective reference, but rather an inexhaustible thematic obsession. Guests compete to find out who loves and knows the author's works best, and which films they should watch during their temporary stay. The Swedish filmmaker is the real protagonist of the drama, although he is absent in images. By portraying their retreat on the Swedish island, the film approaches a tourist guide, showing how Bergman's presence is explored there. Tony visits several of the director's film locations when taking the Bergman Safari tour, while Chris visits other Bergman-related places with a Swede who knows the island. Furthermore, the couple meets the president of the Bergman Foundation and settles in properties that the filmmaker used, such as his projection room and the mill that he sometimes used as an office. All very interesting for Ingmar Bergman fans.
This referential approach makes the result surprisingly descriptive: at lunches, dinners and pseudo-random encounters on the streets, they begin to explain to each other new information about the artist: "Bergman believed that...", "Bergman always said that...", "In truth, Bergman never wanted to...". The cinephile of the characters and of the French filmmaker herself is found in the most consumerist meaning of the term: the author becomes a brand, an icon that appears on t-shirts, tour buses and signs, a name venerated and listed by the titles of the films and the names of the women with whom he had relationships. However, we never discovered any fond memories of Chris and Tony regarding these classics. To what extent were they influenced by specific works, and which aspect had an impact on the films they made? How do you feel after watching the film, and which aspect resonates with you in particular? Although the name is mentioned a hundred times, the works are rarely seen, and almost never debated or confronted. Bergman becomes a collector's icon. Hansen-Love doesn't even bother to detail the previous work of his protagonists, whose work remains opaque and distant.
Bergman's ghost runs through the film, in the form of parody - the "Bergman safari" that Tony follows is hilarious - or through vituperation: "Bergman was called up to fight in World War II and escaped, citing an ulcer! These are the demons that live inside him!" shouts the fiancé from the film within the film, irritated by the question that Amy, the filmmaker in the film within the film, was preparing to ask. The atmosphere of this construction seems made to order for...film students, who can rejoice with a plethora of characters linked to the audiovisual craft, in addition to the exercise of writing the script within the film, not to mention, of course, the Bergmanian terrain that supports to everything and everyone. Upon arrival, Chris and Tony are alerted: "Scenes from a Wedding" was filmed in the upstairs bedroom, responsible for more than a million divorces! To relieve it, they decide to watch, in the 35 mm booth, a classic, "Screams and Whispers", a disturbing masterpiece by the Swede.
Thus, lulled by the subtle connection between layers of interpretation and writing, we travel through this mythical space like someone walking through a peaceful theme park - without crowds, appreciating and enjoying the environment. The island is definitely a vector for promoting Swedish civilization: the coronation comes with Amy's (brief) emotional catharsis upon listening to the song by the group ABBAS, "The Winner Takes It All", another Swedish vector. The camera does not perform excessive movements, concerned with the evocative compositions of the landscapes, the same landscapes that Bergman contemplated. Even when the protagonist couple disagrees regarding some of Ingmar's personal weaknesses - Chris suggests that there may be a certain sadism in the emphasis on human suffering, as in "Screams and Whispers" - the final result is one of sympathy. Bergman had nine children with six women: Chris, smiling, admits that he would like to have children with five different husbands.
The creator's focus is on the fluidity of walks, when talking to anonymous people, sharing a meal or buying sheepskins. The director shows evident pleasure in capturing the beautiful landscapes, the rhythm of carefree wanderings without conflicts. Some voices have praised the initiative because it is supposedly a feature film "about the creation process", however, it is difficult to understand to what extent the island influences the couple beyond the obvious stimulus for romances located in Faro. Her stories appear ready to the viewer's eyes and ears, whether in an abundantly detailed notebook, in dozens of printed pages or in a digression between Vicky and her husband, when she shares the premise conceived overnight. Artistic elaboration does not result from a process marked by techniques and questions, just a gesture of spontaneous creation. For two scriptwriting professionals, the dialogues are curiously amateurish. "I can't find an ending. Can you help me?", "Maybe you should get some rest." The two central figures reveal themselves to be as laid-back and open to chance as they are indifferent, with a warm temperament. It's difficult to think that they have precise deadlines or objectives: they both appear to be on vacation, and if an itinerary emerges from this experience, so much the better.
"Bergman Island" finds its best moments even on these walks. Vicky flirts with Hampus (Hampus Nordenson) - a Bergman expert, of course. In the plot created by the visitor, a couple of artists love each other one night, separate the next night, suffer in secret, and return to the arms of others. Mia Wasikowska and Anders Danielsen Lie play the loving heroes of a very simple romance, within the project titled "The White Dress". The naturalistic style of kisses and sex, in addition to running from the sauna to the freezing sea, is confronted with obvious artifices to encourage the separation of fictional lovers: she decides to dance, allowing the boy to move away during a party; he feigns indifference during a wedding ceremony to test her affection. They only care about loving and being loved, sleeping in one's cabin (the "Bergman Suite") or in the other's cabin. They exchange vows and dreams for the future: "I would like to have your child". It is an evident idealization of romantic love, against the backdrop of the paradisiacal setting of a remote island, among beautiful, young and unencumbered people - a kind of holiday passion, transporting the usual beach setting to that of the Swedish island. The middle story-within-a-story segment is trivial but effective.
In "Bergman Island", the open ending proves to be correct, despite displeasing classical viewers. This lack of a conclusion speaks to the problem of the protagonist Chris, who did not know how to end his film. And the presence of her daughter who meets her in the last scene opens up two possibilities. One of them is that Chris managed to finish his script and can now enjoy his daughter. The other possibility is that Chris gave up his work to dedicate himself to his family, as Tony suggested at a certain point in the film. Two antagonistic conclusions delivered for each viewer to choose their preferred ending. Thus, this time Hansen-Love relies on the affirmation of an artist, whereas his previous film, Maya (2018), was about rediscovering oneself. However, the result carries the uncomfortable impression of a work commissioned by the Swedish Ministry of Tourism, or the local city hall, to encourage visits to the island and pop consumption of the Bergman brand. Chris and Tony are characters as pleasant as they are forgettable: the moment the narrative decides to get rid of one of them, their absence will have no impact on events. No conflict will have consequences: the fights are forgotten the next day, the daughter's longing disappears, the precious Bergman house will be open to be used as a break room when the protagonist wishes. This universe becomes a strange theme park for the couple who are more bored than in crisis. The gesture of liking appears to have value in itself, without contextualization. The narrative ends where it began, in a purist circularity: Hansen-Love appreciates the possibility of transforming Bergman into a point of departure, arrival and the entire journey of this exotic tourism through contemporary cinephile.
The main element of surprise in this feature film is the fact that the director does not just constitute an aesthetic or affective reference, but rather an inexhaustible thematic obsession. Guests compete to find out who loves and knows the author's works best, and which films they should watch during their temporary stay. The Swedish filmmaker is the real protagonist of the drama, although he is absent in images. By portraying their retreat on the Swedish island, the film approaches a tourist guide, showing how Bergman's presence is explored there. Tony visits several of the director's film locations when taking the Bergman Safari tour, while Chris visits other Bergman-related places with a Swede who knows the island. Furthermore, the couple meets the president of the Bergman Foundation and settles in properties that the filmmaker used, such as his projection room and the mill that he sometimes used as an office. All very interesting for Ingmar Bergman fans.
This referential approach makes the result surprisingly descriptive: at lunches, dinners and pseudo-random encounters on the streets, they begin to explain to each other new information about the artist: "Bergman believed that...", "Bergman always said that...", "In truth, Bergman never wanted to...". The cinephile of the characters and of the French filmmaker herself is found in the most consumerist meaning of the term: the author becomes a brand, an icon that appears on t-shirts, tour buses and signs, a name venerated and listed by the titles of the films and the names of the women with whom he had relationships. However, we never discovered any fond memories of Chris and Tony regarding these classics. To what extent were they influenced by specific works, and which aspect had an impact on the films they made? How do you feel after watching the film, and which aspect resonates with you in particular? Although the name is mentioned a hundred times, the works are rarely seen, and almost never debated or confronted. Bergman becomes a collector's icon. Hansen-Love doesn't even bother to detail the previous work of his protagonists, whose work remains opaque and distant.
Bergman's ghost runs through the film, in the form of parody - the "Bergman safari" that Tony follows is hilarious - or through vituperation: "Bergman was called up to fight in World War II and escaped, citing an ulcer! These are the demons that live inside him!" shouts the fiancé from the film within the film, irritated by the question that Amy, the filmmaker in the film within the film, was preparing to ask. The atmosphere of this construction seems made to order for...film students, who can rejoice with a plethora of characters linked to the audiovisual craft, in addition to the exercise of writing the script within the film, not to mention, of course, the Bergmanian terrain that supports to everything and everyone. Upon arrival, Chris and Tony are alerted: "Scenes from a Wedding" was filmed in the upstairs bedroom, responsible for more than a million divorces! To relieve it, they decide to watch, in the 35 mm booth, a classic, "Screams and Whispers", a disturbing masterpiece by the Swede.
Thus, lulled by the subtle connection between layers of interpretation and writing, we travel through this mythical space like someone walking through a peaceful theme park - without crowds, appreciating and enjoying the environment. The island is definitely a vector for promoting Swedish civilization: the coronation comes with Amy's (brief) emotional catharsis upon listening to the song by the group ABBAS, "The Winner Takes It All", another Swedish vector. The camera does not perform excessive movements, concerned with the evocative compositions of the landscapes, the same landscapes that Bergman contemplated. Even when the protagonist couple disagrees regarding some of Ingmar's personal weaknesses - Chris suggests that there may be a certain sadism in the emphasis on human suffering, as in "Screams and Whispers" - the final result is one of sympathy. Bergman had nine children with six women: Chris, smiling, admits that he would like to have children with five different husbands.
The creator's focus is on the fluidity of walks, when talking to anonymous people, sharing a meal or buying sheepskins. The director shows evident pleasure in capturing the beautiful landscapes, the rhythm of carefree wanderings without conflicts. Some voices have praised the initiative because it is supposedly a feature film "about the creation process", however, it is difficult to understand to what extent the island influences the couple beyond the obvious stimulus for romances located in Faro. Her stories appear ready to the viewer's eyes and ears, whether in an abundantly detailed notebook, in dozens of printed pages or in a digression between Vicky and her husband, when she shares the premise conceived overnight. Artistic elaboration does not result from a process marked by techniques and questions, just a gesture of spontaneous creation. For two scriptwriting professionals, the dialogues are curiously amateurish. "I can't find an ending. Can you help me?", "Maybe you should get some rest." The two central figures reveal themselves to be as laid-back and open to chance as they are indifferent, with a warm temperament. It's difficult to think that they have precise deadlines or objectives: they both appear to be on vacation, and if an itinerary emerges from this experience, so much the better.
"Bergman Island" finds its best moments even on these walks. Vicky flirts with Hampus (Hampus Nordenson) - a Bergman expert, of course. In the plot created by the visitor, a couple of artists love each other one night, separate the next night, suffer in secret, and return to the arms of others. Mia Wasikowska and Anders Danielsen Lie play the loving heroes of a very simple romance, within the project titled "The White Dress". The naturalistic style of kisses and sex, in addition to running from the sauna to the freezing sea, is confronted with obvious artifices to encourage the separation of fictional lovers: she decides to dance, allowing the boy to move away during a party; he feigns indifference during a wedding ceremony to test her affection. They only care about loving and being loved, sleeping in one's cabin (the "Bergman Suite") or in the other's cabin. They exchange vows and dreams for the future: "I would like to have your child". It is an evident idealization of romantic love, against the backdrop of the paradisiacal setting of a remote island, among beautiful, young and unencumbered people - a kind of holiday passion, transporting the usual beach setting to that of the Swedish island. The middle story-within-a-story segment is trivial but effective.
In "Bergman Island", the open ending proves to be correct, despite displeasing classical viewers. This lack of a conclusion speaks to the problem of the protagonist Chris, who did not know how to end his film. And the presence of her daughter who meets her in the last scene opens up two possibilities. One of them is that Chris managed to finish his script and can now enjoy his daughter. The other possibility is that Chris gave up his work to dedicate himself to his family, as Tony suggested at a certain point in the film. Two antagonistic conclusions delivered for each viewer to choose their preferred ending. Thus, this time Hansen-Love relies on the affirmation of an artist, whereas his previous film, Maya (2018), was about rediscovering oneself. However, the result carries the uncomfortable impression of a work commissioned by the Swedish Ministry of Tourism, or the local city hall, to encourage visits to the island and pop consumption of the Bergman brand. Chris and Tony are characters as pleasant as they are forgettable: the moment the narrative decides to get rid of one of them, their absence will have no impact on events. No conflict will have consequences: the fights are forgotten the next day, the daughter's longing disappears, the precious Bergman house will be open to be used as a break room when the protagonist wishes. This universe becomes a strange theme park for the couple who are more bored than in crisis. The gesture of liking appears to have value in itself, without contextualization. The narrative ends where it began, in a purist circularity: Hansen-Love appreciates the possibility of transforming Bergman into a point of departure, arrival and the entire journey of this exotic tourism through contemporary cinephile.