Winter Light

tomas confesses to jonnas during their conversation that his faith died with his late wife, five years prior. at a time where he was supposed to counsel jonnas away from suicide, he spends the whole discussion in self pity rather than helping him. ultimately leading to his death. tomas talks about how he’s been praying to a God shaped in his own image, essentially a mirror with better lighting. but when the mirror broke, so did God in his eyes. tomas belief stemmed from narcissism. he knew this himself. as well as he was nothing without his “faith”. he was so consumed by his own spiritual crisis that he mistook self pity for having depth. marta offers him everything, her letters, her love and yet he sits across from her with clear distain, as if her devotion were an inconvenience causing his suffering. she doesn’t believe in God and yet somehow lives with more grace than he ever has. tomas didn’t deserve her. he was too busy being tragic to notice what he had right in front of him.  the film ends with him conducting a service to an almost empty church. he proceeds anyway. bergman does not redeem tomas which i really like. he just makes him continue accordingly. as that is punishment enough for him.