Review of Persona (2008) by Espen G — 15 Apr 2008

A true masterpiece, beautiful, engaging, disturbing, surreal and wonderfully acted.

This film is by far Ingmar Bergman's best effort and that is saying something. Being amongst the most important film directors in film history he managed to outdo himself with this masterpiece.

This is surrealism at its best, you can never be to sure of what you see and as you think you have cracked the symbolism you find new questions arise. It refuses to be tied down by one exclusive theory and is a film Bergman himself refused to explain in detail.

It is a film where the camera creates its own realism, that depicts the world it sees according to the logic of the moving camera and not by human understanding. At the same time it asks fundamental questions about identity and the question of "self".

The film is shot in gorgeous black and white and basically the cinematography in itself is a PhD thesis worthy.

And then the actresses! This film is centered around the mute, but stunningly beautiful Liv Ullmann and her relation to Bibi Andersson. Andersson hold sher own in this film, but the film also signals the arrival of a new star, both in Bergman's private and professional life, namely Ullmann.

You can go on and on about this film, it has enough meat to give you tenfold of thesis and essays. Truly a contender for "best film of all time".