Persona
by Ingmar Bergman
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VHS Tape Cover Information
Actor: Bibi Andersson, Gunnar Bj?rnstrand, J?rgen Lindstr?m, Liv Ullmann, Margaretha KrookDirector: Ingmar Bergman
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Subtitled); Swedish (Original Language), Analog
Format: Black & White, Color, NTSC, Subtitled
Running Time: 81 minutes
Release Date: 2000-10-03
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: MGM (Video & DVD)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
VHS Movie Reviews of Persona
Movie Review: Self punishment
Summary: 4 Stars
Two beautiful actresses, almost identical in their physical appearance, bettle it out on screen. Liv Ullman plays an actress, Elizabeth, who during stage play goes silent (probably every director's nightmare). There is nothing wrong with her physically or empotionally according to the doctor, so she is assigned a young nurse Alma (Bibi Anderson) to take care of her. There is no need for them to stay in the hospital, so doctor let's them use her summer house in hopes that fresh air and rest will aid patient's recovery from the unexplainable illness. As two women settle in house, it is amazing to see them interact in spite of the fact that Elizabeth does not speak at all and the young nurse is doing all the talking. As the time goes by, it is the young nurse who opens herself up bare to her silent companion. It is almost as if their roles are reversed. As long kept secrets keep pouring out, the initial tenderness between two of them turns into violence and cruelty both verbal and physical. It turns that solitude and deep reflection are cracking their personalities in the ways neither one of them expected. Or could it be, that the two personalities are part of one that imagines it all as a form of self-healing? Reconciling one's life is never easy, so it is not surprising the we witness all the psychological twists unfold in front of us. Deeply intelectual film that can have many meanings, it is quiet, but not slow and engaging from start to finish. We really want to know what will come out of these characters at the end.
Summary of Persona
Ingmar Bergman's 1966 film, photographed by Sven Nykvist, begins when famous actress Elisabeth Vogler (Liv Ullmann) freezes on stage in the middle of a performance. Struck dumb by an unknown cause, she winds up in the care of young inexperienced nurse Alma (Bibi Andersson), and together they retreat to the seaside for the summer, where they enter into an uncommon intimacy and clash of wills. Bergman's study of the fragility of the human being and the treachery of life is incredibly moving in its perception and unrivaled imagery. And as always with Bergman and his reappearing ensemble of actors, the performances are flawless. Especially notable is the scene in which Alma recounts for the silent Elisabeth a morally and emotionally ambivalent erotic encounter she had experienced on a beach with a friend and two teenage boys. It is one of the most strangely erotic scenes ever filmed, and not a stitch of clothing is removed. Also of interest, and one of the most intriguing scenes in the film, perhaps among the most intriguing in all of cinema, is when Elisabeth paces barefooted back and forth over a patio on which we know there to be broken glass. It is an achievement in simple suspense from which many an aspiring director of thrillers could learn a bit. For those who've had their fill of predictable plots, irrelevant matter, and apish acting and are looking for something a little more sensual, poetic, and relevant to what life is about beyond the daily grind, this may be a good place to start. --James McGrathArt House & International VHS Video
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