Review of Fanny and Alexander (1982) by Qi Z — 15 Dec 2016
How does one narrate a personal history? Bergman's Alexander has a lively imagination, sensitive to the atmospheric magic of people and things. His harrowing experience in the hands of his stepfather the bishop earmarked his view of God-fearing in the absence of love of others or the comforts for the body.
But even the bishop was given a fully embodied human agony and suffering instead of just a villain with pure malice. The drab bleakness of bishop's counterfeit religiosity contrasted sharply with Ekdhls' effusive, rich, and deeply human love and affections.
The cinema photography made such points vividly from the rich velvety red and green of Ekdhls to the cold stony gray and black of the bishop's household. What a masterpiece.
This review of Fanny and Alexander (1982) was written by Qi Z on 15 Dec 2016.
Fanny and Alexander has generally received very positive reviews.
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