The long version was more important. That is the film I stand totally behind today. Theatrical distribution was necessary, but it was not a priority. For practical and technical reasons, we finished the five-act television production first. Once edited, we had a film that ran more than five hours.
In August 1981 my editor, Sylvia Ingemarsson, came to Fårö. The idea was that we would quickly, in a few days, design the theater version that I already had planned out in my head. I knew rather clearly what I wanted to cut, and my goal was to end up with a two-and-a-half-hour film.
We worked at a rapid pace. When we had finished, I discovered to my horror that I had a film almost four hours long. What a shock! I had always given myself credit for having an excellent sense of time and timing.
The grand finale.
There was nothing to do but start over from the beginning. It was extraordinarily troublesome, since I now had to cut into the vital parts of the film.
I knew that with each cut I reduced the quality of my work. We finally ended up in a compromise: the film was three hours and eight minutes long.
Watching it today, I see that the long version could have been trimmed down half an hour to forty minutes without anyone noticing it. As it was, the work was heavily edited down to the five different episodes for television. But from that point down to the reduced theatrical version was a long step.
The basic chords in Fanny and Alexander are summed up exhaustively in The Magic Lantern:
To be honest, it is with delight and curiosity that I think back on my childhood. My imagination and senses gained nourishment, and I cannot remember ever being bored. Rather the days and hours exploded with these strange wonders, unexpected sights, and magical moments. I can still roam through the landscape of my childhood and re-create the lighting, smells, people, places, moments, gestures, intonations, and objects. Seldom do these memories have any particular meaning; they are like bits of film, short or long, with no point, shot at random.
This is the prerogative of childhood: to move in complete freedom between magic and oatmeal porridge, between boundless terror and a joy that threatens to burst within you. There were no limits except forbidden things and rules, which were like shadows, mostly unfathomable. I know, for instance, that I could not grasp the concept of time: You must learn to be punctual; you have been given a watch, you must learn how to tell time. Yet time did not exist. I was late for school; I was late for meals. Unconcerned, I roamed around in the park by the hospital, looking around and dreaming; time ceased to exist; then something reminded me that I was hungry, and the trouble began.
It was difficult for me to differentiate between what existed in my imagination and what was real. If I made the effort, perhaps I could make the reality remain real, but then, for instance, there were always the ghosts and the visions. What was I supposed to do with them? And the fairy tales, were they real or not?
Notes
*The Swedish film industry experienced a ten-month-long work stoppage beginning January 1951, in protest of a steep amusement tax levied solely on motion pictures. Like many Swedish film directors, Bergman faced the prospect of unemployment. The offer to direct several commercials made him “absurdly grateful,” as he once expressed it.
*Olsson is referring to Katinka Faragó, Bergman’s longtime assistant and sometime producer.
Filmography
Two film titles are given when different titles were used for the American and British releases. The American title appears first, followed by a slash. In a few instances, when the film was never formally released in the United States, the first title is apparently more common in both territories and the second (preceded by an “or”) is an American alternative.
1944
TORMENT/FRENZY (Hets)
Production/distribution: Svensk Filmindustri. Director: Alf Sjöberg. Producers: Harald Molander, Victor Sjöström (artistic consultant). Screenplay: Ingmar Bergman and Alf Sjöberg. Assistant to the director: Ingmar Bergman. Cinematography: Martin Bodin. Music: Hilding Rosenberg. Art direction: Arne Åkermark. Editing: Oscar Rosander. Premiere: October 2, 1944, at Röda Kvarn. Length: 101 minutes. With Stig Järrel (Caligula), Alf Kjellin (Jan-Erik Widgren), Mai Zetterling (Bertha Olsson), Olof Winnerstrand (headmaster), Gösta Cederlund (“Pippi”), Stig Olin (Sandman), Jan Molander (Pettersson), Olav Riégo (Widgren, an executive), Märta Arbin (Mrs. Widgren), Hugo Björne (physician), Anders Nyström (Bror Widgren), Nils Dahlgren (commissioner), Gunnar Björnstrand (young teacher), Carl-Olof Aim, Curt Edgård, Sten Gester, Palle Granditsky, Birger Malmsten, and Arne Ragneborn (students).
1945
CRISIS (Kris)
Production/distribution: Svensk Filmindustri. Director: Ingmar Bergman. Screenplay: Ingmar Bergman, adapted from the play Moderdyret (A Mother's Heart) by Leek Fischer. Producer: Harald Molander, Victor Sjöström (artistic consultant). Cinematography: Gösta Roosling. Music: Erland von Koch. Art direction: Arne Åkermark. Editor: Oscar Rosander. Premiere: February 25, 1946, at Spegeln. Length: 93 minutes. With Dagny Lind (Ingeborg), Marianne Löfgren (Jenny), Inga Landgré (Nelly), Stig Olin (Jack), Allan Bohlin (Ulf), Ernst Eklund (Uncle Edvard), Signe Wirff (Aunt Jessie), Svea Hoist (Malin), Arne Lindblad (mayor), Julia Caesar (mayor's wife), Dagmar Olsson (singer at the ball), Anna-Lisa Baude (customer in the millinery), Karl Erik Flens (Nelly's escort to the ball), Wiktor Andersson, Gus Dahlström, John Melin, Holger Höglund, Sture Ericson, and Ulf Johanson (musicians).
1946
IT RAINS ON OUR LOVE or MAN WITH AN
UMBRELLA (Det regnar på vår kärlek)
Production: Sveriges Folkbiografer. Distribution: Nordisk Tone-film. Director: Ingmar Bergman. Producer: Lorens Marmstedt. Screenplay: Ingmar Bergman and Herbert Grevenius, adapted from the play Bra mennesker (Good People) by Oscar Braathen. Cinematography: Hilding Bladh, Göran Strindberg. Music: Erland von Koch. Art direction: P. A. Lundgren. Editing: Tage Holmberg. Premiere: November 9, 1946, at Astoria. Length: 95 minutes. With Barbro Kollberg (Maggi), Birger Malmsten (David), Gösta Cederlund (man with umbrella), Ludde Gentzel (Håkansson), Douglas Håge (Andersson), Hjördis Petterson (Mrs. Andersson), Julia Caesar (Hanna Ledin), Gunnar Björnstrand (Mr. Purman), Magnus Kesster (Folke Törnberg), Sif Ruud (Gerti Törnberg), Åke Fridell (pastor), Benkt-Åke Benktsson (prosecuting attorney), Erik Rosén (judge), Sture Ericson (“Boot Strap”), Ulf Johanson (“Steel Whisk”), Torsten Hillberg (vicar), Erland Josephson (public servant).
1947
WOMAN WITHOUT A FACE (Kvinna utan ansikte) Production/distribution: Svensk Filmindustri. Director: Gustaf Molander. Producers: Harald Molander, Victor Sjöström (artistic consultant). Screenplay: Ingmar Bergman and Gustaf Molander, based on an idea by Bergman. Cinematography: Åke Dahlqvist. Music: Erik Nordgren and Julius Jacobsen. Art direction: Arne Åkermark and Nils Svenwall. Editing: Oscar Rosander. Premiere: September 16, 1947, at Röda Kvarn. Length: 102 minutes. With Alf Kjellin (Martin Grandé), Gunn Wållgren (Rut Kohler), Anita Björk (Frida Grandé), Stig Olin (Ragnar Ekberg), Olof Winner-strand (executive Grandé), Marianne Löfgren (Charlotte), Georg Funkquist (Victor), Åke Grönberg (Sam Svensson), Linnéa Hillberg (Mrs. Grandé), Calle Reinholdz and Karl Erik Flens (chimney sweeps), Sif Ruud (Magda Svensson), Ella Lindblom (Marie), Artur Rolén (“Flotten”), Wiktor Andersson (night guard), Björn Montin (Pil), Carl-Axel Elfving (mailman), Carin Swensson (Magda's girlfriend), Arne Lindblad (hotel manager), Lasse Sarri (bellboy), David Eriksson (porter), Torsten Hillberg (police detective), Ernst Brunman (cabdriver).
1947
A SHIP BOUND FOR INDIA or THE LAND OF
DESIRE (Skepp till Indialand)
Production: Sveriges Folkbiografer. Distribution: Nordisk Tone-film. Director: Ingmar Bergman. Screenplay: Ingmar Bergman, based on the play by Martin Söderhjelm. Producer: Lorens Marm-stedt. Cinematography: Göran Strindberg. Music: Erland von Koch. Art direction: P. A. Lundgren. Editing: Tage Holmberg. Premiere: September 22, 1947 at Royal. Length: 98 minutes. With Holger Löwenadler (Captain Al
exander Blom), Birger Malmsten (Johannes Blom), Gertrud Fridh (Sally), Anna Lindahl (Alice Blom), Lasse Krantz (Hans), Jan Molander (Bertil), Erik Hell (Pekka), Naemi Briese (Selma), Hjördis Petterson (Sofie), Åke Fridell (cabaret manager), Peter Lindgren (foreign crew member), Gustaf Hiort af Ornäs and Torsten Bergström (Blom's friends), Ingrid Borthen (girl on the street), Gunnar Nielsen (young man), Amy Aaröe (young girl).
1947
NIGHT IS MY FUTURE/MUSIC IN DARKNESS
(Musik i mörker)
Production/distribution: Terrafilm. Director: Ingmar Bergman. Producer: Lorens Marmstedt. Screenplay: Dagmar Edqvist, based on her novel. Cinematography: Göran Strindberg. Music: Erland von Koch. Art direction: P. A. Lundgren. Editing: Lennart Wallén. Premiere: January 17, 1948, at Royal. Length: 87 minutes. With Mai Zetterling (Ingrid), Birger Malmsten (Bengt Vyldeke), Bengt Eklund (Ebbe), Olof Winnerstrand (vicar), Naima Wifstrand (Mrs. Schroder), Åke Claesson (Mr. Schröder), Bibi Skoglund (Agneta), Hilda Borgström (Lovisa), Douglas Håge (Kruge), Gunnar Björnstrand (Klasson), Segol Mann (Anton Nord), Bengt Logardt (Einar Born), Marianne Gyllenhammar (Blanche), John Elfström (Otto Klemens), Rune Andreasson (Evert), Barbro Flodquist (Hjördis), Ulla Andreasson (Sylvia), Sven Lindberg (Hedström), Svea Hoist (postal worker), Georg Skarstedt (Jönsson), Reinhold Svensson (intoxicated man in pub), Mona Geijer-Falkner (woman by trash can), Arne Lindblad (restaurant chef).
1948
PORT OF CALL (Hamnstad)
Production/distribution: Svensk Filmindustri. Director: Ingmar Bergman. Producer: Harald Molander. Screenplay: Ingmar Bergman and Olle Länsberg, based on Länsberg's story The Gold and the Walls. Cinematography: Gunnar Fischer. Music: Erland von Koch. Art direction: Nils Svenwall. Editing: Oscar Rosander. Premiere: October 18, 1948, at Skandia. Length: 100 minutes. With Nine-Christine Jönsson (Berit), Bengt Eklund (Gösta), Berta Hall (Berit's mother), Erik Hell (Berit's father), Mimi Nelson (Gertrud), Birgitta Valberg (social worker Vilander), Hans Strååt (engineer Vilander), Nils Dahlgren (Gertrud's father), Harry Ahlin (“Skån-ingen”), Nils Hallberg (Gustav), Sven-Eric Gamble (“Eken”), Sif Ruud (Mrs. Krona), Kolbjörn Knudsen (sailor), Yngve Nordwall (supervisor), Bengt Blomgren (Gunnar), Hanny Schedin (Gunnar's mother), Helge Karlsson (Gunnar's father), Stig Olin (Thomas), Else-Merete Heiberg (reform school girl), Britta Billsten (prostitute), Sture Ericson (police commissioner).
With Göran Strindberg, cinematographer for the first films.
1948
EVA
Production/distribution: Svensk Filmindustri. Director: Gustaf Molander. Producer: Harald Molander. Screenplay: Ingmar Bergman and Gustaf Molander, based on Bergman's short film The Trumpet Player and Our Lord. Cinematography: Åke Dahlqvist. Music: Erik Nordgren. Art direction: Nils Svenwall. Editing: Oscar Rosander. Premiere: December 12, 1948, at Röda Kvarn. Length: 98 minutes. With Birger Malmsten (Bo), Eva Stiberg (Eva), Eva Dahlbeck (Susanne), Stig Olin (Göran), åke Claesson (Fredriksson), Wanda Rothgardt (Mrs. Fredriksson), Inga Landgré (Frida), Hilda Borgström (Maria), Lasse Sarri (Bo at age 12), Olof Sandborg (Berglund), Carl Ström (Johansson), Sture Ericson (Josef), Erland Josephson (Karl), Hans Dahlin (Olle), Hanny Schedin (midwife), Yvonne Eriksson (Lena), Monica Wienzierl (Frida at age 7), Anne Karlsson (Marthe).
1948/49
THE DEVIL'S WANTON/PRISON (Fängelse)
Production/distribution: Terrafilm. Director, screenplay: Ingmar Bergman. Producer: Lorens Marmstedt. Cinematography: Göran Strindberg. Music: Erland von Koch. Art direction: P. A. Lundgren. Editing: Lennart Wallén. Premiere: March 19, 1949, at Astoria. Length: 79 minutes. With Doris Svedlund (Birgitta Carolina), Birger Malmsten (Thomas), Eva Henning (Sofi), Hasse Ekman (Martin Grandé), Stig Olin (Peter), Irma Christenson (Linnéa), Anders Henrikson (Paul), Marianne Löfgren (Mrs. Bohlin), Kenne Fant (Arne), Inger Juel (Greta), Curt Masreliez (Alf), Torsten Lilliecrona (cinematographer), Segol Mann (main electrician), Borje Mellvig (police commissioner), Åke Engfeldt (policeman), Bibi Lindqvist (Anna), Arne Ragneborn (Anna's fiance). Martin Grandé, a film director, is visited on the set by an old teacher, Paul, who presents him with an idea for a film about hell on earth. Martin relates this idea to the writer Thomas and his wife, Son. Thomas says that he has already found the female lead: he has just auditioned Birgitta Carolina, a prostitute.
After this prologue, six months pass. Birgitta Carolina gives birth to a child and is persuaded by her protector, Peter, and her sister, Linnéa, to get rid of it. Thomas and Son drink and argue. Son hits him on the head with a bottle. The police look for Birgitta Carolina and bring her in. At the police station she meets Thomas, who believes that he has killed his wife. Birgitta Carolina is let go after Peter intervenes on her behalf. Thomas discovers that Son is not dead but that she has left him.
Later Thomas encounters Birgitta Carolina again. They take a room at a pension where Thomas stayed as a child. Using an old-fashioned movie projector, he shows a silent film farce on the wall of their attic room. Birgitta Carolina dreams. Thomas makes her tell him about the child she gave away. Peter reads in the newspaper that a dead infant has been found. He locates Son and tells her where Thomas is. Thomas tells Son that he loves Birgitta Carolina and wants to help her. Birgitta Carolina goes back to live with Peter and Linnéa. She turns Thomas away. A customer rapes her. Peter finds her lying in the cellar with a knife in her hand. Birgitta Carolina dies.
Thomas returns to Son. Martin (the director) again meets with his old teacher. The film idea does not really hold water. It would end with a question, and there is nobody to whom one might ask this question.
1949
THREE STRANGE LOVES/THIRST (Törst)
Production/distribution: Svensk Filmindustri. Director: Ingmar Bergman. Producer: Helge Hagerman. Screenplay: Herbert Grevenius, based on a collection of short stories by Birgit Tengroth. Cinematography: Gunnar Fischer. Music: Erik Nordgren. Art direction: Nils Svenwall. Editing: Oscar Rosander. Premiere: October 17, 1949, at Spegeln. Length: 83 minutes. With Eva Henning (Rut), Birger Malmsten (Bertil), Birgit Tengroth (Viola), Mimi Nelson (Valborg), Hasse Ekman (Dr. Rosengren), Bengt Eklund (Raoul), Gaby Stenberg (Astrid), Naima Wifstrand (Miss Henriksson), Sven-Eric Gamble (glass worker), Gunnar Nielsen (physician's assistant), Estrid Hesse (patient), Helge Hagerman and Calle Flygare (clergymen), Monica Wienzierl (little girl on train), Verner Arpe (German conductor), Else-Merete Heiberg (Norwegian woman on train), Sif Ruud (talkative widow in graveyard).
1949
TO JOY (Till glädje)
Production/distribution: Svensk Filmindustri. Director, screenplay: Ingmar Bergman. Producer: Allan Ekelund. Cinematography: Gunnar Fischer. Art direction: Nils Svenwall. Editing: Oscar Rosander. Premiere: February 20, 1950, at Spegeln. Length: 98 minutes. With Stig Olin (Stig), Maj-Britt Nilsson (Marta), Victor Sjöström (Sönderby), Birger Malmsten (Marcel), John Ekman (Mikael Bro), Margit Carlqvist (Nelly Bro), Sif Ruud (Stina), Rune Stylander (Persson), Erland Josephson (Bertil), Georg Skarstedt (Anker), Berit Holmström (young Lisa), Björn Montin (Lasse), Svea Hoist (nurse), Ernst Brunman (caretaker of Concert House), Maud Hyttenberg (saleswoman in toy store).
1950
WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS (Medan staden sover)
Production/distribution: Svensk Filmindustri. Director: Lars-Eric Kjellgren. Producer: Helge Hagerman. Screenplay: Lars-Eric Kjellgren and Per Anders Fogelström, after an idea by Ingmar Bergman based on Fogelström's Ligister (Gang Members). Cinematography: Martin Bodin. Music: Stig Rybrant. Art direction: Nils Svenwall. Editing: Oscar Rosander. Premiere: September 8, 1950, at Skandia. Length: 102 minutes. With Sven-Eric Gamble (Jompa), Inga Landgré (Iris), Adolf Jahr (Iris's father), John Elfström (Jompa's father), Märta Dorff (Iris's mother), Elof Ahrle (the boss), Ulf Palme (Kalle Lund), Hilding Gavle (fence), Barbro Hiort af Ornas (Rut), Rolf Bergström (Gunnar), Ilse-Nore Tromm (Jompa's mother), Ulla Smidje (Asta), Ebba Flygare (wife of fence), Carl Ström (concierge), Mona Geijer-Falkner (manager), Alf Östlund (Andersson), Hans Sundberg (Knatten), Lennart Lundh (Slampen), Arne Ragneborn
(Sune), Hans Dahlberg (Lång-Sam), Åke Hylén (Pekå), Börje Mellvig (prosecuting attorney), Olav Riégo (judge), Arthur Fischer (policeman), Harriet Andersson (Lucia), Henrik Schildt (party guest), Julius Jacobsen (piano player at restaurant), Gunnar Hellströxm (young man at restaurant).
With Hasse Ekman during the filming of Three Strange Loves.
1950
ILLICIT INTERLUDE/SUMMER INTERLUDE
(Sommarlek)
Production/distribution: Svensk Filmindustri. Director: Ingmar Bergman. Producer: Allan Ekelund. Screenplay: Ingmar Bergman and Herbert Grevenius, based on Mari, a story by Bergman. Cinematography: Gunnar Fischer. Music: Erik Nordgren, Bengt Wallerström, and Eskil Eckert-Lundin. Art direction: Nils Svenwall. Editing: Oscar Rosander. Premiere: October 1, 1951, at Röda Kvarn. Length: 96 minutes. With Maj-Britt Nilsson (Marie), Birger Malmsten (Henrik), Alf Kjellin (David), Annalisa Ericson (Kaj), Georg Funkquist (Uncle Erland), Stig Olin (ballet master), Renée Björling (Aunt Elisabeth), Mimi Pollak (petite woman), John Botvid (Karl), Gunnar Olsson (pastor), Douglas Håge (Nisse with the nose), Julia Caesar (Maja), Carl Ström (Sandell), Torsten Lilliecrona (Light-Pelle), Olav Riégo (physician), Ernst Brunman (skipper), Fylgia Zadig (nurse), Sten Mattsson (deckhand), Carl-Axel Elfving (flower deli very man).
1950
THIS CAN'T HAPPEN HERE or HIGH TENSION
(Sånt händer inte här)
Production/distribution: Svensk Filmindustri. Director: Ingmar Bergman. Producer: Helge Hagerman. Screenplay: Herbert Grevenius, based on the novel During Twelve Hours by Peter Valentin (Waldemar Br∅gger). Cinematography: Gunnar Fischer. Music: Erik Nordgren. Art direction: Nils Svenwall. Editing: Lennart Wallén. Premiere: October 23, 1950, at Röda Kvarn. Length: 84 minutes. With Signe Hasso (Vera), Alf Kjellin (Almkvist), Ulf Palme (Atkä Natas), Gösta Cederlund (physician), Yngve Nordwall (Lindell), Stig Olin (young man), Ragnar Klange (Filip Rundblom), Hannu Kompus (pastor), Sylvia Tael (Vanja), Els Vaarman (refugee woman), Edmar Kuus (Leino), Rudolf Lipp (“The Shadow”), Lillie Wästfeldt (Mrs. Rundblom), Segol Mann, Willy Koblanck, Gregor Dahlmann, Gösta Holmström, and Ivan Bousé (agents), Hugo Bolander (hotel manager), Helena Kuus (woman at wedding), Alexander von Baumgarten (sea captain), Eddy Andersson (ship's engineer), Fritjof Hellberg (first mate), Mona Åstrand (young girl), Mona Geijer-Falkner (woman in apartment building), Erik Forslund (concierge), Georg Skarstedt (worker with hangover), Tor Borong (caretaker), Magnus Kesster (neighbor in Ålsten), Maud Hyttenberg (graduate), Helga Brofeldt (shocked old woman), Sven Axel Carlsson (youngster).
Image My Life in Film Page 21