An early film from Bergman that is both terrible, and a real landmark all at the same time.
For the most part I'd say that the film is a real bore, and suffers greatly from mediocre editing and some very unauthentic feeling moments. There are some really unconvincing scenes here. A young and fairly amateur Bergman for sure, but yet there is such a powerful statement delivered below the surface of the film. In this way, the film separates itself from other very standard love stories, and Bergman separates himself from the average artist or filmmaker.
Bergman as he often was, is very uncompromising here, and he has definite ideas, and wide and powerful views of his modern industrial and social society. Bergman loved to use cinema as a multi layered way to speak to viewers. Most people may even miss much of the major statements in his work, because they're often relayed so subtley, and yet are so grand at the same time. They lay under the surface of his work, weaved quite loudly, but yet not overtly obvious. It takes a deeper eye and eventually reflection to truly understand and appreciate a good Bergman film. In this way he was among the pioneers in creating new ways to convey ideas, themes, messages and feelings through the medium of the cinema. In Summer With Monika he certainly has some large social political feelings that he expresses, and quite obviously to the seasoned viewer, these are the main themes of the film. Most people seem to believe this is just a story of young lovers that eventually goes stale due to naivety and the realities of modern life, and it is, but it is so much more than that at the same time. It's a story of dreams destroyed by nightmares, a story of social and industrial entrapment that often kills the young and hopeful human spirit.
If you know Bergman's work very well, you know that he was a person who often loved to relay a very bleak view of things. After all he was a man who lost his faith, and he was an artist. An artist without pain or something to stand up for, is often not much of an artist at all.
While I didn't think that this film was very good in terms of it's overall delivery and execution. I did still greatly appreciate the underlying themes and ideas conveyed by a very young, determined and dramatic artist. It is obvious by watching this film that Bergman was already becoming a director who could do and say special things with a story. I don't think the final product here is quite as great as he had hoped for, but he was at this stage learning and developing the style that would eventually make him a legend.
6.5/10
For the most part I'd say that the film is a real bore, and suffers greatly from mediocre editing and some very unauthentic feeling moments. There are some really unconvincing scenes here. A young and fairly amateur Bergman for sure, but yet there is such a powerful statement delivered below the surface of the film. In this way, the film separates itself from other very standard love stories, and Bergman separates himself from the average artist or filmmaker.
Bergman as he often was, is very uncompromising here, and he has definite ideas, and wide and powerful views of his modern industrial and social society. Bergman loved to use cinema as a multi layered way to speak to viewers. Most people may even miss much of the major statements in his work, because they're often relayed so subtley, and yet are so grand at the same time. They lay under the surface of his work, weaved quite loudly, but yet not overtly obvious. It takes a deeper eye and eventually reflection to truly understand and appreciate a good Bergman film. In this way he was among the pioneers in creating new ways to convey ideas, themes, messages and feelings through the medium of the cinema. In Summer With Monika he certainly has some large social political feelings that he expresses, and quite obviously to the seasoned viewer, these are the main themes of the film. Most people seem to believe this is just a story of young lovers that eventually goes stale due to naivety and the realities of modern life, and it is, but it is so much more than that at the same time. It's a story of dreams destroyed by nightmares, a story of social and industrial entrapment that often kills the young and hopeful human spirit.
If you know Bergman's work very well, you know that he was a person who often loved to relay a very bleak view of things. After all he was a man who lost his faith, and he was an artist. An artist without pain or something to stand up for, is often not much of an artist at all.
While I didn't think that this film was very good in terms of it's overall delivery and execution. I did still greatly appreciate the underlying themes and ideas conveyed by a very young, determined and dramatic artist. It is obvious by watching this film that Bergman was already becoming a director who could do and say special things with a story. I don't think the final product here is quite as great as he had hoped for, but he was at this stage learning and developing the style that would eventually make him a legend.
6.5/10