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Ingmar Bergman: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was born on the 14th of July 1918 in Uppsala, Sweden. He grew up as the son of a Lutheran minister named Erik Bergman and his wife Karin. The family home was filled with religious imagery and constant discussion about faith. His father held strict ideas about parenting that shaped the young boy's early years. Ingmar was locked inside dark closets whenever he committed infractions like wetting himself. While his father preached from the pulpit, the child observed the church's mysterious world of low arches and thick walls. He found comfort in the smell of eternity and the colored sunlight quivering above medieval paintings. This environment created a psychological foundation that would later define his cinematic work. He lost his faith at age eight but came to terms with this loss while making Winter Light in 1962.
From Student Theatre to Screenwriter
Bergman enrolled at Stockholm University College in 1937 to study art and literature. He spent most of his time involved in student theatre rather than academic coursework. At sixteen years old, he attended a Nazi rally in Weimar where he saw Adolf Hitler. He described the event as fun and youthful before the truth of concentration camps became known. In 1941, his film career began with work rewriting scripts for others. His first major accomplishment arrived in 1944 when he wrote the screenplay for Torment. The film sparked debate on Swedish formal education systems. During the next ten years, he wrote and directed more than a dozen films including Prison in 1949. Sawdust and Tinsel and Summer with Monika both released in 1953 marked his transition into directing his own material. He married Else Fisher in 1943 during these early professional years.
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was born on the 14th of July 1918 in Uppsala, Sweden. He grew up as the son of a Lutheran minister named Erik Bergman and his wife Karin.
What caused Ingmar Bergman to leave Sweden permanently?
Police officers arrested Ingmar Bergman on the 30th of January 1976 for income tax evasion regarding an alleged transaction involving Cinematograf and its Swiss subsidiary Persona. The impact on him was devastating as he suffered a nervous breakdown resulting from the humiliation and he vowed never to work in Sweden again.
Which actors formed Ingmar Bergman's personal repertory company?
Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson, Harriet Andersson, Erland Josephson, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnel Lindblom, and Gunnar Björnstrand each appeared in at least five features directed by Ingmar Bergman. Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann appeared in nine films and became the most closely associated with him both artistically and personally.
How many times did Ingmar Bergman marry during his life?
Ingmar Bergman was married five times throughout his life spanning from 1943 to 1995. The first four marriages ended in divorce while the last ended when his wife Ingrid died of stomach cancer in 1995 aged 65.
Who were some major film directors influenced by Ingmar Bergman?
Stanley Kubrick admired the work of Ingmar Bergman expressing it in a personal letter stating Your vision of life has moved me deeply much more deeply than I have ever been moved by any films. Film critic Philip French referred to Ingmar Bergman as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century who found in literature and performing arts a way of both recreating and questioning the human condition.
Smiles of a Summer Night won Best poetic humour and was nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1956. This international success led directly to worldwide recognition for Bergman. Two films released ten months apart in 1957 established him as a global cinematic authority. The Seventh Seal won a special jury prize while Wild Strawberries won numerous awards for Bergman and its star Victor Sjöström. From the early 1960s, he spent much of his life on the island of Fårö where he made several films. Critics created the notion that Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light, and The Silence formed a trilogy or cinematic triptych. Bergman initially responded that he did not plan these three films as a trilogy but later seemed to adopt the notion. Persona starring Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann is considered one of his most important works despite winning few awards. His filmography included The Virgin Spring, Hour of the Wolf, Shame, and The Passion of Anna throughout this period.
Arrested and Exiled from Sweden
On the 30th of January 1976, police officers arrested Bergman while rehearsing August Strindberg's The Dance of Death at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm. He faced charges of income tax evasion regarding an alleged 1970 transaction of 500,000 Swedish kronor between Cinematograf and its Swiss subsidiary Persona. The impact on Bergman was devastating as he suffered a nervous breakdown resulting from the humiliation. He was hospitalized in a state of deep depression during the investigation. Special prosecutor Anders Nordenadler dropped the charges on the 23rd of March 1976 stating the crime had no legal basis. Despite pleas by Prime Minister Olof Palme and high public figures, Bergman vowed never to work in Sweden again. He closed down his studio on Fårö and went into self-imposed exile in Munich, West Germany. Harry Schein estimated immediate damage as ten million SEK and hundreds of jobs lost. Bergman remained in Munich until 1984 though he visited Sweden briefly in July 1978 for his sixtieth birthday.
The Repertory Company and Nykvist
Bergman developed a personal repertory company of Swedish actors whom he repeatedly cast in his films. Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson, Harriet Andersson, Erland Josephson, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnel Lindblom, and Gunnar Björnstrand each appeared in at least five features. Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann appeared in nine films and became the most closely associated with Bergman both artistically and personally. They had a daughter together named Linn Ullmann born in 1966. His working arrangement with cinematographer Sven Nykvist allowed Bergman not to worry about shot composition until the day before filming. On the morning of the shoot, he would briefly speak to Nykvist about mood and composition then leave him to work without interruption. By mid-1978 Bergman had overcome some bitterness toward the Swedish government but still operated from Munich. He stated that he managed to push the envelope of filmmaking in Persona and Cries and Whispers while maintaining this collaborative approach.
Five Marriages and Dozens of Affairs
Bergman was married five times throughout his life spanning from 1943 to 1995. The first four marriages ended in divorce while the last ended when his wife Ingrid died of stomach cancer in 1995 aged 65. He had romantic relationships with actresses Harriet Andersson between 1952 and 1955, Bibi Andersson between 1955 and 1959, and Liv Ullmann between 1965 and 1970. In all, Bergman had nine children one of whom predeceased him. He eventually married all the mothers of his children except for Liv Ullmann. His daughter with his last wife Ingrid von Rosen was born twelve years before their marriage. He had dozens of mistresses throughout his life and justified the affairs by telling wives I have so many lives. Although he once described himself as having lost faith in an afterlife, a conversation with Erland Josephson helped him believe he would see Ingrid again. An early draft of his autobiography said he raped then-girlfriend Karin Lannby but that portion was edited out for the final version.
Legacy Among Directors and Critics
Stanley Kubrick admired the work of Bergman expressing it in a personal letter stating Your vision of life has moved me deeply much more deeply than I have ever been moved by any films. Film critic Philip French referred to Bergman as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century who found in literature and performing arts a way of both recreating and questioning the human condition. Director Martin Scorsese commented that it is impossible to overestimate the effect that his films had on people. Bergman's work served as a point of reference and inspiration for director Woody Allen who described him as probably the greatest film artist since the invention of the motion picture camera. Danish Director Thomas Vinterberg cited Bergman as one of his major influences saying Bergman is always in my head. After Bergman died, a large archive of notes was donated to the Swedish Film Institute including unpublished scripts and ideas for works in different stages of development. The Criterion Collection released a Blu-ray disc box set comprising 39 features in 2018 honoring his 100th birthday.