Autumn Sonata(Swedish:Höstsonaten) is a 1978drama filmwritten and directed byIngmar Bergman,and starringIngrid Bergman(in her final film role),Liv UllmannandLena Nyman.Its plot follows a celebrated classical pianist and her neglected daughter who meet for the first time in years, and chronicles their painful discussions of how they have hurt each other. It was the only collaboration between Ingrid Bergman and Ingmar Bergman (who were not related[2]).[3]
| Autumn Sonata | |
|---|---|
 Swedish theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Ingmar Bergman |
| Written by | Ingmar Bergman |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Sven Nykvist |
| Edited by | Sylvia Ingmarsdotter |
| Music by | Frédéric Chopin |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Constantin Film |
Release date |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | West Germany |
| Language | Swedish |
| Box office | $2 million[1] |
Autumn Sonatawas the last of Ingmar Bergman's films to be made for theatrical exhibition; all of his films made after it, even those screened in theatres, were television productions.[4]
Plot
editEva, the wife of Viktor, the village pastor, invites her mother Charlotte for a visit to her village after seven years of separation. Charlotte is a world-renowned pianist, somewhat eccentric, aging, and has survived several husbands. Eva is not as talented as the mother (despite having written two books and playing the piano passably), but she takes pride in her life as a wife, mother, and caretaker of her disabled sister Helena, whom she has taken out of the hospital into her own home. Helena's condition has left her paralyzed, and Eva is the only one who can understand her limited speech ability. In her everyday life, Eva also struggles with her marriage to Viktor, whom she respects but does not love, and is still deeply affected by the tragic drowning of their son Erik, just one day short of his fourth birthday.
The presence of Helena in Eva's house is shocking to the aging mother. She makes a gift of her own wristwatch to Helena, and listens to Eva playing Prelude No. 2 in A minor byChopin.She immediately re-performs the prelude, offering her own interpretation of the music. Before going to bed, Charlotte decides to make a gift of her own car to her daughter. She plans to take a flight home, and buy a new car for herself, as a measure of her altruism. At night, Charlotte wakes up from a nightmare: it seems that one of her daughters is choking her. She goes into the living room followed by Eva, who had heard her mother screaming from the nightmare.
Mother and daughter begin an impassioned rediscovery of their past relationship. Their conversation turns into a heated confrontation as Eva accuses Charlotte of prioritizing her career and social life over motherhood, undermining her self-worth, and forcing her to have an abortion during a pregnancy with another man—Viktor overhears this but chooses not to intervene. Eva reveals how this neglect devastated Helena as well, leading to her health decline. Charlotte initially defends herself, but eventually admits that she has never truly loved anyone and pointlessly begs Eva for forgiveness. As the argument continues, Helena painfully drags herself out of her bed and crawls toward the stairs leading to the living room where Eva and Charlotte are. Once she reaches the landing, she helplessly calls out, "Mama, come!"
In the morning, Charlotte departs on a train accompanied by her agent and reflects on her unsettling encounter with Helena, asking, "Why couldn't she die?" At home, Viktor desperately tries to ease Helena's severe emotional breakdown, while Eva visits the grave of her deceased son, grappling with suicidal thoughts. Eva eventually returns home and writes an apology letter to her mother, which Viktor reads aloud. The scene briefly shifts to a different setting, where Eva appears to read the letter to Charlotte, before returning to Viktor, who seals it, leaving its fate uncertain.
Cast
edit- Ingrid Bergmanas Charlotte Andergast
- Liv Ullmannas Eva
- Lena Nymanas Helena
- Halvar Björkas Viktor
- Marianne Aminoffas Charlotte's private secretary
- Arne Bang-Hansenas Uncle Otto
- Gunnar Björnstrandas Paul
- Erland Josephsonas Josef
- Georg Løkkebergas Leonardo
- Mimi Pollakas Piano instructor
- Linn Ullmannas Eva as a child
Production
editBackground
editDue to hisbattle with the Swedish tax authoritiesat the time,[n 1]Ingmar Bergman producedAutumn Sonatathrough hisWest Germancompany, Personafilm GmbH, with main financing fromLew Grade's BritishITC Film,and shot the film in an old film studio outsideOsloinNorway.[5]Although formally a German production (with the German title,Herbstsonate,being the official original title), the dialogue is in Swedish, most of the crew and actors were Swedish,[6]and the world premiere was in Stockholm.[7]
Peter Cowie,in the notes to the Criterion DVD edition of the film, summarizes the production, stating: "Shot in Norway, with British and American backing, and featuring Swedish dialogue,Autumn Sonataemerged from one of the darkest spells in Ingmar Bergman's life. In 1976 he had gone into voluntary exile in Munich after being accused of evading tax on the income from certain films... Autumn Sonata... marks theswan songof Ingrid Bergman’s career, fulfilled her long-held desire to make a film with her namesake. "[8]
The piano piece in the film isFrédéric Chopin'sPrelude No. 2 in A minorplayed byKäbi Laretei,whose hands are shown whenever Ingrid Bergman is depicted playing the piano.
Reception
editCritical reception
editIn theChicago Reader,Dave Kehropined thatAutumn Sonata"makes good chamber music: it's a crafted miniature with Bergman's usual bombast built, for once, into the plot requirements."[9]Conversely, Gary Arnold ofThe Washington Postfelt that its story was "a dubious variation on familiar neurotic themes" in Bergman's work, but also wrote that "one can be impressed by Bergman's instrumentalists while rejecting his composition....Autumn Sonataenjoys instant status as an acting showcase. "[10]Film criticRoger Ebertranked the film at No. 5 in his list of10 Best Films of 1978.[11]
Retrospective evaluation is favorable. In 2002, Keith Phipps ofThe A.V. Clubwrote, "When it was released in 1978, Ingmar Bergman'sAutumn Sonatareceived positive to indifferent reviews, written off by many as a minor work from a great director.... With the burden of high expectations lifted,Autumn Sonatacan finally be seen as an austerely beautiful meditation on death and the not-always-realized possibility of reconciliation across generations. "[12]The film has an 85% rating onRotten Tomatoesfrom 33 reviews with the consensus: "A melancholy meditation on the unresolvable tension between parent and child,Autumn Sonatais a fitting swan song for the great Ingrid Bergman. "[13]
Accolades
editRemakes and stage adaptations
edit- Tehzeeb(2003) is aHindifilm inspired byAutumn Sonata.[21]
- A stage adaptation was performed at theRoyal Dramatic Theatrein Stockholm in 2009 withMarie GöranzonandMaria Bonnevie.[22]
- In April 2011, a new theatrical adaptation ofAutumn Sonata,based on Bergman's original screenplay, had its World Premiere at theYale Repertory Theatrein New Haven, CT, directed byRobert Woodruff.[23]
- In 2017, a Swedish-languageopera,Höstsonaten,was premièred at theFinnish National Opera.The music is composed bySebastian Fagerlundand the libretto byGunilla Hemmingis based upon Bergman's screenplay.[24]
See also
edit- High Heels,a 1991 Spanish film directed by Pedro Almodovar, and partially inspired byAutumn Sonata[25]
Notes
edit- ^Autumn Sonatais the second of Bergman's three films produced during his exile from Sweden, after 1977'sThe Serpent's Eggand before 1980'sFrom the Life of the Marionettes.
References
edit- ^Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987).American film distribution: the changing marketplace.UMI Research Press. p. 295.ISBN9780835717762.Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
- ^Norman, Rebecca Thandi (29 August 2018)."Six Essential Films of Swedish Actress Ingrid Bergman".Scandinavia Standard.Retrieved27 July2023.
- ^"Ingmar Bergman: 10 essential films".BFI.23 December 2021.Retrieved27 July2023.
- ^Nehme, Farran Smith."Autumn Sonata:Mothers, Daughters, and Monsters ".The Criterion Collection.Retrieved21 October2014.
- ^Ingmar Bergman Face to Face:Autumn Sonata - Shooting the filmArchived29 September 2011 at theWayback MachineRetrieved 2011-07-11.
- ^Ingmar Bergman Face to Face:Autumn Sonata - Cast and creditsArchived29 September 2011 at theWayback MachineRetrieved 2011-07-11.
- ^Ingmar Bergman Face to Face:Autumn Sonata - Film factsArchived29 September 2011 at theWayback MachineRetrieved 2011-07-11.
- ^Cowie, Peter (1 January 2000)."Autumn Sonata".www.criterion.com.
- ^Kehr, Dave."Autumn Sonata".Chicago Reader.Retrieved16 January2017.
- ^Arnold, Gary (15 November 1978)."'Autumn': Spellbinding Stars ".The Washington Post.Retrieved16 January2017.
- ^"Ebert's 10 Best Lists: 1967–present".Chicago Sun-Times.Archived fromthe originalon September 8, 2006.
- ^Phipps, Keith (29 March 2002)."Autumn Sonata(VHS & DVD) ".Onion Inc.Retrieved16 January2017.
- ^"Autumn Sonata(1978) ".Rotten Tomatoes.Retrieved5 December2024.
- ^"Winners & Nominees".Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.5 October 2014.Retrieved5 August2019.
- ^"Årets vindere"(in Danish).Bodil Awards.Retrieved24 August2019.
- ^"Prix et nominations: César 1979"(in French).AlloCiné.Retrieved22 August2019.
- ^"Autumn Sonata".Hollywood Foreign Press Association.Retrieved5 August2019.
- ^"1978 Award Winners".National Board of Review.Retrieved24 August2019.
- ^"Past Awards".National Society of Film Critics.19 December 2009.Retrieved24 August2019.
- ^Maslin, Janet(21 December 1978)."Miss Bergman, Jon Voight AndDeer HunterCited ".The New York Times.Retrieved24 August2019.
- ^Hungama, Bollywood (5 December 2003)."Tehzeeb Review 1/5 | Tehzeeb Movie Review | Tehzeeb 2003 Public Review | Film Review".Bollywood Hungama.Retrieved20 September2023.
- ^Sörenson, Margareta (16 November 2009)."Höstsonaten/ Dramaten ".expressen.se.Retrieved6 March2015.
- ^"Autumn Sonata | Yale Repertory Theatre".yalerep.org.Retrieved20 September2023.
- ^Kvist, Wilhelm (3 September 2017)."Publiken blir vampyrer och flygeln ett monster".Hufvudstadsbladet(in Swedish). pp.34–35.
- ^EmanuelLevy (20 July 2011)."High Heels (1991): Almodovar's Melodrama about Mother-Daughter Rivalry, Starring Victoria Avril and Marisa Paredes - Emanuel Levy".Retrieved20 September2023.