Review of Fanny and Alexander (1982) by Kate L — 14 Mar 2008

I watched the full 6 hr version of this wonderful film, I don't see how the shorter version would work. I disagree that it's an epic, it doesn't have the necessary "sweep", but that doesn't matter and it deserves a place in the Bergman filmatic canon.

To me this was a story about childhood, love, family and dreams but also monstrousness, perversion, hate, death and nightmares - all intertwined. Anything can happen, all is possible and probable. I also like that there are many aspects of the film that just do not make sese, why for example is it called "Fanny and Alexander" when Fanny hardly features at all? What's with the Dikensian scene where Isak wills the children's image to be somewhere they are not? Wierd!