Bergman has probably been exploring the possibilities of film, and many of the techniques in "Masquerade" are completely traditional.
The story of "Masquerade" is quite simple. The relationship between an actor and a nurse has no strong dramatic conflict, just one person chattering and the other silent. In the long-term relationship, the two gradually became one. The nurse replaced the actor and got along with her husband, replaced the actor to tell her heart, and replaced the actor to be a mother. This is an inward story, showing the conflict, Whether it's arguing, chasing or dripping blood, it's quite weak compared to the heart. The nurse was powerless to use words to protect herself, but the closed space between the two aggravated her inner unease and fear, causing subtle changes in the relationship between the two. Suddenly I think of the closed hotel in "The Shining". In this environment of lack of connection with the outside world, it is really easy to create a sense of horror.
The use of montage is very interesting. The first five minutes of the short 80-minute movie are basically a combination of static images, such as nailing, human bodies, etc. It is like watching from the perspective of God, but if there is a God, these violent and terror still exist. The dialogue between the two was almost never played back and forth. The monologue segment in which the nurse replaced the actor was performed by a single person for a long time. Even the same paragraph was shown twice with the camera of both parties, and the changes of the two shots were almost exactly the same. In the sub-composition, one person is clear and one person is silhouetted, and there is an unknown fear hidden in the shadow. The conversation between the nurse and the doctor before was also a multi-angle nurse shot, but with the doctor's non-stop speaking voice, is it difficult for a person's voice and picture to exist at the same time in this movie?
The sound intensified the horror of "Masquerade", the sudden hissing, the sound of dripping blood, the sudden outburst or the repeated unintelligible tones, have been dangling anxiously to watch but dare not watch. In fact, after reading it, I found that there is no scary picture, but more aroused fear in my heart, the relationship between people, the relationship between self and others... Who knows who I am?
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