28 • SIGNAL Monday, FebraaJ')' 6, 1979 Bergman's 'Sonata'! An Austere Classic By Mark Flanagan 8lgnel ~ In"""' __ Idltor On the first night of Charlotte's stay, Eva is When considering the world encouraged by her minister cinema, there are three husband (Halvar Bjork) to filmmakers who ought by now play Chopin for her mother. to have edged into anyone's As Eva plays, the camera pantheon. One is Vittorio focuses on Charlotte's pained, DeSica, who has made some unsympathetic expression. awesomely impressive films Eva's piano playing is on miniscule budgets. Another dreadful. Then Charlotte is Luis Bunuel, the Spanish slides next to Eva and plays satirist. the pieceas she feelsitmust be The third compleat film- played-her way. The camera maker is . (as in Persona) captures the Among film buffs his two faces. Charlotte's face is a reputation fluctuates strange- mask of concentration and ly. It is not a matter of his self-absorption. Eva's face falling in and out of favor; expresses a combination of rather, critics are unable to envy and tightly controlled settle upon which of his films hatred, and, it seems, some should be considered his amazement at the hatred. finest. At last count, there wert' Thia hatred later explodes. seven strong contenders: The Charlotte is severely shaken Naked Night, Smiles of a "hen she finds out that her Summer's Night, The Seventh 'eecond daughter is living with Seal, Wild Strawberries, The Eva. The girl (Lena Nyman), Silence, Persona, The POIIsion whose speech and movements The great 8wediah director, Ingmar Bergman, conlel'8 with one of the of Anna, and Cries and are palsied by a wasting Han of Autumn Sonata, . Whispers .. disease, is thrilled to see her Now, after a two-year mother. (It is also clear that hiatus, Bergman is back in the girl is meant to be a Scandinavia. Divorced from physical manifestation of his usual production company Eva's mental situation). (Svensk Filmindustri) and his Charlotte manages to bekind, _ troup of actors, Bergman has but her distaste is powerful. contrived, with LivUllman, to After a nightmare later that continue his career in his night involving grasping, "usual austere way. pleading, menacing hands, The result is Autumn Charlotte exchanges bitter Sonata, a film he made in accusations with her daughter. in the Swedish the kitchen. Her tongue language with French money. loosened by alcohol (like It is also number eight in his Cathy Ames in EOIItof Eden), greatest film sweepstakes. Eva launches a deadly Autumn Sonata begins with accurate and highly emotional a drippy premise. After an attack on her mother. interval of seven years, Eva Charlotte knows she is guilty (Ullman) invites her concert of neglecting her daughters' pianist mother, Charlotte emotional needs; but now, (Ingrid Bergman) for a visit. grown older, she cannot make The film explores a terribly amends. common attitude held by I said above that Bergman young women-that if they're approaches a piece of pop not shown maternal love and psychology with insight- and affection when they're young, truth. Bergman's truth, in this they'll be wrecked for life. film as in all his films, is Bergman walks right up to achieved through his intel- this piece of pop psychology ligence, his ability to select and gets beyond the cliches. relevant details and images He locates truth in the from the characters' pasts and situation. his incredible sense ofcontrol. WINGSCAMERA

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Den G. Baxter