Review of Saraband (2003) by Joanna H — 01 Oct 2007

I was perhaps somewhat upset to find this film a bit "not bergman enough" compared to the nerve-strain of his earlier family dramas. And at the same time, it is very much Bergman: shot almost entirely indoors, with slightly exaggerated, theatre-like acting techniques.

Definitely not the one film I'd recommend to get acquainted with Bergman's genuis, this is nevertheless a graceful coda to his oeuvre. In fact, the part I enjoyed most was the 1hr-long special feature on the DVD showing the maitre himself, well in his 80s, directing the film that he knew would be his last.