Autumn Sonata
In the same way that I watched Stalker and saw a movie that most likely shaped a generation of directors with its use of camera, sound, and plot progression, I believe that there are pieces of Autumn Sonata that laid the foundation for future actors and the characters they would embody.
Ingrid Bergman is a master at work in this film, as although she plays a 1B role in this film, the extended on her face that display the small, intricate ways in which she portrays the deeply flawed character of Charlotte. Her facial expressions, the small breaks of disappointment at moments not catered to her, every inch of her performance ratifying the abuse detailed by daughter, portrayed by the equally unbelievable Liv Ullmann.
Ullmann’s excellence is different though; she is saddled with the brunt of the emotional weight of this film, and cannot simply have her performance carried by the weight of its nuance. Her two monologues in the latter half of this film are some of the best I have ever seen, every aspect of their equally complex and heart wrenching nature is portrayed with breathless precision. Similar to Bergman, the indications of her feelings for her co lead are established early, and compound the emotional impact of the absolutely phenomenal second half. The desperation to please someone that deep in your heart you would like nothing more than to hate, the pain it causes to finally air your grievances with someone that you care so deeply about, the catharsis of finally expressing the twisted feeling you’ve held for so long, never better portrayed than here.
This is my first Bergman (Ingmar) and I suspect that his more detached, cold style that he is famous for will come at a detriment of my fandom, but this specifically is a masterwork and will at the very least allow me to acknowledge the greatness he holds as a film maker.
number 2 on my list of movies watched in 2025