Review of Fanny and Alexander (1982) by Eve T — 29 Sep 2008

What a difference a few years makes. Once upon a time I was captivated by nearly every one of "Fanny & Alexander's" 312 minutes. Now, although many moments shine as brightly as ever, I was frequently frustrated. Maybe I should return to the shorter theatrical version because at nearly 90 minutes, the opening Christmas episode feels tedious. It develops many of the key relationships and presents a vivid portrait of holiday festivities in turn of the century Swedish bohem-bourgeois circles, but it takes far to long to get to the heart of things.

The lengthy monologues also distract from the flow of the narrative, but the biggest disappointment came when I realized Rosenbaum's controversial dismissal of Bergman's work may have more truth than I was initially able to accept. Despite Nykvist's gorgeous photography, sets that put Wes Anderson's eye for detail to shame, and strong performances all around, I miss the ambiguity that typifies the MGM era and the Faith trilogy.Their mysteries are missing from the obviousness and forced themes that dominate "Fanny". Archetypes have their place, but rather than strengthening Bergman's career capstone, it feels watered down. This is Scandinavian angst for dummies. No wonder this is one of one Ingmar's most popular efforts.

The high points come courtesy of Alexander, the lusty uncle and the tipsy grandmother. They recall the pleasures of Bergman's pre-fame humor. It also serves as a memorable time capsule of an era. The idea of a cruel hearted religious fanatic's desire to stunt young Alexander's creativity is easily identifiable, but I'm not as taken by pure villainy as I once was. When viewed from a child's perspective (like the more recent "Pan's Labyrinth"), the broad characterizations are more understandable, but I miss the searing eye and uncompromising avant garde sensibilities of his best work. Now that the bloom is off of the rose, I'm very interested in seeing which of work continues to interest me. . .