Synopsis

"Persona" is not only Bergman's masterpiece; it is consistently ranked as one of the greatest films ever made. It is admittedly difficult, but never pointlessly so.

The underlying spirit feels much the same as the High Modernist literature of the 1920s: a brilliant fusion of emotion and intellect resulting in a startling new form of expression.

Indeed, the opening sequence of the film -- "a heap of broken images" -- brings "The Waste Land" to mind, and Bergman himself remarked, "I had it in my head to make a poem, not in words but in images."



Despite the unconventional style, one never has the feeling of novelty for the sake of mere effect. The formal innovations follow from the content.

Much of the film, in fact, is shot in a fairly traditional way, though with Bergman's usual painstaking subtlety.

The detailing is even finer than one might expect, with every sound, almost every word, orchestrated with great care.

"Persona" is a deeply compelling film, but it is probably not an ideal starting point for a newcomer to Bergman's work. "Wild Strawberries" is more straightforward and warmer; a great character study that retains elements of fantasy. -- IMDb

Cast: Bibi Andersson, Liv Ullmann, Gunnar Björnstrand, Margaretha Krook, Jörgen Lindström

Berlinale (Retrospective), Ghent (Memory of Film)