“IN THE SHADOW OF THE MASTER”

By Raymond Benson

The late Ingmar Bergman lived and worked on the Swedish island of Fårö, where he filmed many of his stark masterpieces such as Persona, Shame, and others. He had more than one house on the island, and the population there protected the filmmaker’s privacy with the fervor of a national guard.

Today, though, his estate is run by a foundation that allows artist-in-residency grants to writers, filmmakers, musicians, and painters, as well as activists working for free speech and democratic ideals. One merely has to submit an application at a specific time of year, and if one is lucky, grants/permissions are doled out to several people per year. The person gets to stay free of charge at one of Bergman’s abodes and work on a designated project (it doesn’t have to be related to Bergman or film) as long as some “contribution” is made to the community in terms of a cultural event. (For those interested, see https://bergmangardarna.se/application/.)

French filmmaker Mia Hansen-Løve uses this residency gift as a setting for a sensitive romantic drama that explores the relationship between art and real life, as well as the muses and inspirations that drive artists in their work. Bergman Island also displays in lovely cinematographic intimacy (shot by DP Denis Lenoir) the grounds of Bergman’s homes, which is, in itself, an absolute treat for any viewer who is a fan of the master’s movies. Note that although the film is mostly a French production set in Sweden, it is 95% in English. Some Swedish residents on the island speak in their native tongue and are subtitled.

Tony (Tim Roth) is an established filmmaker who has received a grant of residency to stay at Bergman’s Dämba property to work on writing his next project. Accompanying him is his wife, Chris (Vicky Krieps), also a writer, who has a work in progress but is experiencing writer’s block. Chris turns out to be the protagonist of the film, and the story is told from her perspective. There are cracks in the marriage, mainly because Chris feels that Tony doesn’t give her enough support or encouragement (but from what the viewer sees on the screen, this isn’t entirely true; nevertheless, Tony does tend to take phone calls in the middle of deep conversations and is easily distracted by what is apparently a major film production he’s working on). Ironically, they’re staying in the bedroom where Bergman’s Scenes from a Marriage was shot. The housekeeper tells them that the film was so popular that millions of couples around the world “got a divorce” because of it!

The couple, usually separately, take in sightseeing excursions on the island to Bergman’s other abodes and the film center where Tony delivers a talk. There is even a “Bergman Safari” bus that takes visitors around the island to film locations and such (and all this is real).

Chris finally relates to Tony the story she’s been struggling with so far. The movie then becomes a “film within a film,” illustrating Chris’ story, which involves Amy (Mia Wasikowska), a filmmaker, and a former lover, Joseph (Anders Danielsen Lie), both of whom are attending a wedding of mutual friends on Fårö. Mia and Joseph rekindle their love affair, and Mia would like for it to go further, but apparently Joseph considers the fling to be temporary. Interestingly, people that Tony and Chris have met during their stay on the island are transported into Mia and Joseph’s story, so there is cross pollination of ideas between the “real” tale and the “fictional” tale.

Bergman Island is told in a leisurely, dreamlike fashion that emphasizes the pastoral influence of the surroundings on the characters. There is also the strong (but unseen and unheard) presence of Ingmar Bergman’s ghost, who informs all the characters’ motivations. Tony and Chris are told that the late filmmaker believed in ghosts—for example, Bergman was firmly convinced that his late wife occupied the house with him after she had departed the earth. Thus, the ghosts of their own pasts are ever present in the lives of Tony, Chris, Amy, and Joseph. That said, the movie is not a Bergman homage or pastiche. Its style and tone is much gentler and more feminine.

The Criterion Collection has issued a top-notch package containing a 2K digital master of the movie, approved by the director, with a 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. The colors of Fårö in summer are a striking contrast to the black and white imagery of the locations in Bergman’s 1960s and 70s pictures. Berman Island is indeed lovely to look at it.

The supplements include a lengthy interview with director Hansen- Løve in which she speaks about the history of the film, its casting issues (originally Greta Gerwig and John Turturro were to have played the roles of Chris and Tony), and the power of the island location on the choices she made for the picture; an interview with Vicky Krieps; and a short behind-the-scenes documentary shot by cast member Gabe Klinger during the production. The booklet contains an essay by film critic Devika Girish.

Bergman Island is a fascinating and meaningful little picture that is worth one’s time, especially for fans of the late Ingmar Bergman. Recommended.

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