Review of Fanny and Alexander (1982) by Michael A Elkana F — 26 Oct 2009

10/10. Without doubt my favorite from Bergman, Fanny & Alexander has every elements you want from a movie. Gorgeous cinematography, terrific acting, beautiful settings & costumes, & a moving and solid plot & story.

This 5 hours (yes, I watched the TV cut) family drama tells the story of The Ekdahls, a rich Swedish family living in the town of Uppsala, but later it then focuses to 2 children, Fanny Ekdahl & Alexander Ekdahl, after their father's death. Despite of a happy family just as ppl seen outside, The Ekdahls are actually a family filled with problems & dilemmas. Every one of them hides a secret. But at the end, all of them have to unite to fight against the evil Bishop (Which becomes Fanny & Alexander's stepfather), his sister (what a bitch !), and also his entire family.

It's funny because this movie isn't just realistic (every problem is being portrayed here. Death, Money, almost everything you want), but also magical. Alexander has an ability to see ghosts, the second half of the story also deals with religious matter and spiritual beings. If only it wasn't that long (5 FREAKIN HOURS), it would become my favorite movie of all time, but then I think i'm glad it's 5 hours, because we know almost every detail of not just Ekdahls, but also all of their maids and closest friends, and the motives & reasons behind every scenes.