Review of The Magician (1958) by Mirabella 1 — 30 Oct 2009

Kind of an odd one in Bergman's career. Some call it a religious allegory (even going so far as to call Vogler a stand-in for Jesus), and while there is something to that, I think it's more about the magic of film and theater.

While Bergman achieved fantastic success mixing comedy and drama in Seventh Seal, it often doesn't quite work here. For instance, the scene with Mrs. Egerman confessing to Vogler and coming on to him is a fine scene, but it feels pasted in.

But if it doesn't always gel, it does have some great moments and is generally pretty entertaining, with the usual strong performances. Gunnar Fischer's photography is quite wonderful, too.