--- In
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "GERLACH, Steve"
<steve.gerlach@...> wrote:
>
> Anyone got a view on Ingmar Bergman being a great
Noir film director?
>
>
>
> Amazon says (regarding a recently released
collection): Before The Seventh
> Seal and Wild Strawberries established him as one of
the great masters of
> cinema, Ingmar Bergman created a series of less well
known, devastating
> psychological character studies, marked by
intricate, layered narratives,
> gritty environments, and haunting visuals. These
early films, which show the
> stirrings of the genius to come, remain the hidden
treasures of a European
> cinema on the cusp of a golden age. The films are
Torment / Crisis / Port of
> Call / Thirst / To Joy and I'm wondering if I should
pick them up. Any
> feedback greatly appreciated.
Well, it depends on how you define "hidden"... those films
have been shown over and over since their release. I think
the medieval trilogy (The Seventh Seal, The Virgin Spring and
The Magician) do have noir elements, but they are mainly
related to the art of film, not to literature per se. Perhaps
The Silence could qualify as noir, too. But on the whole,
Bergman belongs in a wholly different tradition (Strindberg,
Sjö¢¥²g, even Dreyer, etc.).
Since we are talking about great masters, some of Andrzej
Wajda's films and stories can qualify as noir (Ashes and
Diamonds, Kanal).
Perhaps we should not try to stretch noir to cover anything
pessimistic; otherwise, the term would lose power
rapidly.
Best,
MrT
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 14 Mar 2007 EDT