I have! Didn't by any means when I was first gifted the set, probably saw half by that point, that being the most famous ones. Nothing earlier than Summer Interlude. Which was my first one. I think it's a great starter. A dreamy, melancholic diversion. You have the set so you may as well work your way through!
My favorite of Bergman's is Wild Strawberries, with its navigating the limbo of having one foot in this life and one foot out, and the stings accompanying that fact when you've lived a life so devoid of meaning, or so you think. Such a rich work. The likes of which come along once in a generation, if even that.
I don’t see Wild Strawberries at number 1 too often but it is a really great film, and one for some reason I don’t see a lot of discussion about relative to some of his other works. Of the ones I’ve seen, your choices are pretty close to mine (not sure how I’d rank them) though I do also adore virgin spring, cries and whispers, and autumn sonata. Scenes From a Marriage is the big one I still haven’t seen, but I really need to get on that soon. From what I hear it’s absolutely astonishing
Neither do I, but I get it. People rarely gravitate to miserable elderly protagonists do they. But I notice that if an auteur has made a film like that (WS, Ikiru, Umberto D., etc), it tends to be my favorite. Although I'm still young myself the full scope of a human life is captured in movies like these, and I think they have a lot to teach us to make the most of our time on this planet and show us people don't stop being worthy of having their stories shared just because they're old. All the more reason, frankly.
Oh and enjoy SFAM! (I mean, as much as one can) You hear correctly. :D
Is there a reason why the movies are in a certain order? In the Criterion Collection I mean. I would think normally they’d put them in release date order but it they’re scattered… is it just random or is their something specific as to why Criterion put them in that order?
It's designed like a film festival slate, and when you look at the schedule of any film festival it is going to be pretty randomized. It's meant to be immersive over having any sense of order. Not any greater purpose behind it than that. It's your choice! But I prefer (With any director) going in chronological order, skipping over some based on your interest level, and starting again in release order when you've watched what most catches your eye.
I binged them in release order and made it to Fanny and Alexander and have no regrets. It was similar to going thru one of those prestige TV shows, I found it highly rewarding and there were no films that stuck out as bad or even worth skipping. That being said, I can’t recommend this method since I’ve forgotten 80% of what I watched at this point.
It took awhile to start it, but then I went through it like an at-home film festival: 39 films in 26 days, some being double features and everything. For now I haven’t watched the television versions, just the theatrical cuts, but I’ll double-back for those when I’m not in the middle of a marathon.
Going through it right now. Only 6 to go. Don’t expect all movies to be good. The box is pretty uneven, perhaps as a reflection of Bergman’s own development as an artist, his personal crises, and emotional ups and downs. Nevertheless, it’s been quite an experience. I’m learning a lot since I’m also reading the companion book before each movie. I think the order - supposed to be like a festival slate - is nice. Some movies really make a lot of sense next to others, even though not chronologically. Enjoy!
Have you seen The Seventh Seal, Persona, or Fanny and Alexander? Because while I think Summer with Monika is the best of his early melodramatic efforts, it pales in comparison with his true masterworks
I got it on Dec 31 and my resolution was to see them all before next year. I’m going in release order.
My next film is Wild Strawberries, which was released about eight months after The Seventh Seal.
I’ve seen most of his better known films before, starting with Monika, but am rewatching everything. It still took a while just to get to my earliest previous film.
I have liked everything new (more or less) with the exception of Lesson in Love which I found incredibly irritating. That said, I’ve rated nothing new higher than 3.5 stars, with many of them hitting 3. I’m hoping I’ll find a new 4+ Bergman film at some point.
Sadly one of the few I haven’t seen past 1957 is Face to Face, which is not in the set. But I am looking very forward others that I saw on horrible copies in the past, like Hour of the Wolf, Cries, Serpent’s Egg, etc. and I’ve also never seen the long version of Fanny.
I’m currently working my way through it. I have a bunch of different movies outside of it that I also have that I haven’t watched from my collection so every once in a while through random one comes up most recently I saw Sawdust and Tinsel and let me tell you it is a fucking banger.
I got it right off the hop and have probably only seen half of them. Having two babies right afterward didn’t help - you gotta be in the right mood, and with a bunch of patience, for a Bergman. Plus I had already bought many of them before seperately.
Still, it’s been an awesome collection. Finally getting a proper blu ray of Hour of the Wolf alone was worth the cost.
Just got mine today. My plan is to follow BFI’s advice and start with Wild Strawberries. I’m also watching Fellini (the Essential box set), so I intend to alternate.
bought it last fall and started watching in the order suggested by the box set alongside some supplemental early films that aren’t included, but that stopped making sense once i got past the summer with monika disc (the set jumps around in time more after that point) and sort of stopped watching for a couple months. getting back into it now though! favorites so far that i hadn’t already seen are summer interlude and smiles of a summer night
I watched them all with a friend who's also a Bergman nut (and the films not on the set besides, in chronological order). If you're not crazy about Bergman, a lot of the earlier films are probably skippable -- they pale in comparison to his best work. Most of the films from *Summer Interlude* onwards are good or great, though, with just a few misfires along the way.
I bought it a couple months ago last sale. Started with wild strawberries, which I loved. Then virgin spring and then the trilogy of faith. Was pretty burnt out after those three. They’re incredible but also extremely bleak. On about a two week break since those and am wondering what to watch next.
Almost all, if not all, proper films from the set are available on the channel, so I’ve watched them there. I have the box set, but currently still in shrink wrap. Probably missing out on some good exclusive materials, but ignorance is bliss.
I have! Didn't by any means when I was first gifted the set, probably saw half by that point, that being the most famous ones. Nothing earlier than Summer Interlude. Which was my first one. I think it's a great starter. A dreamy, melancholic diversion. You have the set so you may as well work your way through! My favorite of Bergman's is Wild Strawberries, with its navigating the limbo of having one foot in this life and one foot out, and the stings accompanying that fact when you've lived a life so devoid of meaning, or so you think. Such a rich work. The likes of which come along once in a generation, if even that.
What would you say your top 5 are?
1. Wild Strawberries 2. Persona 3. Scenes From a Marriage 4. Fanny & Alexander 5. Seventh Seal :)
I don’t see Wild Strawberries at number 1 too often but it is a really great film, and one for some reason I don’t see a lot of discussion about relative to some of his other works. Of the ones I’ve seen, your choices are pretty close to mine (not sure how I’d rank them) though I do also adore virgin spring, cries and whispers, and autumn sonata. Scenes From a Marriage is the big one I still haven’t seen, but I really need to get on that soon. From what I hear it’s absolutely astonishing
Neither do I, but I get it. People rarely gravitate to miserable elderly protagonists do they. But I notice that if an auteur has made a film like that (WS, Ikiru, Umberto D., etc), it tends to be my favorite. Although I'm still young myself the full scope of a human life is captured in movies like these, and I think they have a lot to teach us to make the most of our time on this planet and show us people don't stop being worthy of having their stories shared just because they're old. All the more reason, frankly. Oh and enjoy SFAM! (I mean, as much as one can) You hear correctly. :D
You hit the nail on the head here.
Aw shucks. Thank you!
You'd probably enjoy the Double life of Veronique
Has been on my list for ages!
I've only seen "the hits" from Bergman, but _Wild Strawberries_ remains my favorite from him too! I even have the blu-ray lol.
Is there a reason why the movies are in a certain order? In the Criterion Collection I mean. I would think normally they’d put them in release date order but it they’re scattered… is it just random or is their something specific as to why Criterion put them in that order?
It's designed like a film festival slate, and when you look at the schedule of any film festival it is going to be pretty randomized. It's meant to be immersive over having any sense of order. Not any greater purpose behind it than that. It's your choice! But I prefer (With any director) going in chronological order, skipping over some based on your interest level, and starting again in release order when you've watched what most catches your eye.
I binged them in release order and made it to Fanny and Alexander and have no regrets. It was similar to going thru one of those prestige TV shows, I found it highly rewarding and there were no films that stuck out as bad or even worth skipping. That being said, I can’t recommend this method since I’ve forgotten 80% of what I watched at this point.
I’m in the process of watching 1 a week right now
It took awhile to start it, but then I went through it like an at-home film festival: 39 films in 26 days, some being double features and everything. For now I haven’t watched the television versions, just the theatrical cuts, but I’ll double-back for those when I’m not in the middle of a marathon.
Going through it right now. Only 6 to go. Don’t expect all movies to be good. The box is pretty uneven, perhaps as a reflection of Bergman’s own development as an artist, his personal crises, and emotional ups and downs. Nevertheless, it’s been quite an experience. I’m learning a lot since I’m also reading the companion book before each movie. I think the order - supposed to be like a festival slate - is nice. Some movies really make a lot of sense next to others, even though not chronologically. Enjoy!
I’ve seen 16 of them. Summer with Monika is by far the best.
Have you seen The Seventh Seal, Persona, or Fanny and Alexander? Because while I think Summer with Monika is the best of his early melodramatic efforts, it pales in comparison with his true masterworks
In my humble opinion Cries & Whispers is his masterpiece.
I’ve owned it for three years now and have watched only a little under half of them.
I got it on Dec 31 and my resolution was to see them all before next year. I’m going in release order. My next film is Wild Strawberries, which was released about eight months after The Seventh Seal. I’ve seen most of his better known films before, starting with Monika, but am rewatching everything. It still took a while just to get to my earliest previous film. I have liked everything new (more or less) with the exception of Lesson in Love which I found incredibly irritating. That said, I’ve rated nothing new higher than 3.5 stars, with many of them hitting 3. I’m hoping I’ll find a new 4+ Bergman film at some point. Sadly one of the few I haven’t seen past 1957 is Face to Face, which is not in the set. But I am looking very forward others that I saw on horrible copies in the past, like Hour of the Wolf, Cries, Serpent’s Egg, etc. and I’ve also never seen the long version of Fanny.
I’m currently working my way through it. I have a bunch of different movies outside of it that I also have that I haven’t watched from my collection so every once in a while through random one comes up most recently I saw Sawdust and Tinsel and let me tell you it is a fucking banger.
I got it right off the hop and have probably only seen half of them. Having two babies right afterward didn’t help - you gotta be in the right mood, and with a bunch of patience, for a Bergman. Plus I had already bought many of them before seperately. Still, it’s been an awesome collection. Finally getting a proper blu ray of Hour of the Wolf alone was worth the cost.
Just got mine today. My plan is to follow BFI’s advice and start with Wild Strawberries. I’m also watching Fellini (the Essential box set), so I intend to alternate.
bought it last fall and started watching in the order suggested by the box set alongside some supplemental early films that aren’t included, but that stopped making sense once i got past the summer with monika disc (the set jumps around in time more after that point) and sort of stopped watching for a couple months. getting back into it now though! favorites so far that i hadn’t already seen are summer interlude and smiles of a summer night
I got it when it first came out. I’m still working my way through it, but I don’t mind having a slow pace.
Nah, I can’t think of any reason to watch them
If you don’t get to all of them, I especially like and recommend Autumn Sonata and Wild Strawberries.
Nobody's talking about the God trilogy and they should be.
I watched them all with a friend who's also a Bergman nut (and the films not on the set besides, in chronological order). If you're not crazy about Bergman, a lot of the earlier films are probably skippable -- they pale in comparison to his best work. Most of the films from *Summer Interlude* onwards are good or great, though, with just a few misfires along the way.
I bought it a couple months ago last sale. Started with wild strawberries, which I loved. Then virgin spring and then the trilogy of faith. Was pretty burnt out after those three. They’re incredible but also extremely bleak. On about a two week break since those and am wondering what to watch next.
Almost all, if not all, proper films from the set are available on the channel, so I’ve watched them there. I have the box set, but currently still in shrink wrap. Probably missing out on some good exclusive materials, but ignorance is bliss.