Reviews

The Magic Lantern by Ingmar Bergman, Joan Tate

bibliothecarivs's review

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4.0

Like his films, Bergman's memoir dokuments the varieties of human life in an artistically honest way, even the elements we typically avoid or don't acknowledge.

Having closed the book a few minutes ago, my overwhelming feeling is of a warm kinship with young Ingmar. In a different time and place, I think I would have been the best of friends with him.

I sometimes find myself grieving that I only discovered Bergman soon after he died- that I couldn't love him while he was alive. It's a feeling I commonly have for historical figures that I'm interested in but in this case the proximity of his life to mine makes it particularly acute. Knowing the outline of my grandfather's life helps me place Bergman's life in recent history. He was born in 1918, as was my grandfather. After a long career, in 1980 Bergman announced the production of Fanny and Alexander, which would become his last film and one of his most beloved, a couple months after I was born. He died in 2007 and I discovered his work when I viewed The Seventh Seal for the first time in 2009, just before my grandfather died.

At least Bergman's legacy lives on through his films, books (including those written by his lovers, family, admirers, and critics), interviews, and the foundation (ingmarbergman.se/en).

kirjokansi's review

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dark emotional funny informative reflective sad medium-paced

zazzerpans's review

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dark reflective slow-paced

3.5

b_caligari's review

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dark informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

3.25

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