The first long review for the longest movie ever seen. First watch the three-hour theatrical version, then watch the five-hour director's cut version, which is more coherent, smooth, and reasonable.
The flow of water at the beginning of each act summarizes the theme and also signifies the changing seasons, a well-chosen metaphor. Thinking of Woolf's "The Waves", the beginning of each chapter expresses the passage of time in a day by depicting scenes, corresponding to various stages of life.
Bergman also finally achieved a kind of wholeness, watching the whole of life, whether it is good or bad, and rejoicing in all the graces in life, see Gustav's speech at the end. His attitude towards life finally softened, creating a warm world full of childhood nostalgia, which is his tenderness to himself.
The ending of "Wild Strawberry" is reconciliation. Although there are cracks in repentance and redemption, it can be regarded as a kind of fulfillment, which can compensate for the lost Eden and the ancient golden age of human beings-Bergman likes to combine birth and death. Set, the perfection in old age with regrets, in a dream, is like the original perfection, just a small reward and a little indulgence. After separation and depravity, after realizing the gap between ideals and reality, after experiencing unsatisfactory life, people have to face nothingness, loneliness, despair and death, they will feel fear, they will have endless desires, and they will also make mistakes because of this. , such as apathy, indulgence, and manipulation. And by looking directly at all this pain, through repentance and atonement, man can repair his relationship with others, and ultimately with God—despite the rifts of the Great Fall that cannot be healed as new, and the desire for an ideal, unattainable perfection. Because the perspective has not changed, the distinction still exists, and there is still the possibility of splitting again.
And "Fanny and Alexander" denies the rigid dogma of God, and regards it as a kind of magic, but it does not disenchant the ideal world without God, but recognizes the existence of this magic and the effects it brings. It is a magical and complicated phenomenon, but it is also seen clearly, and you will not make mistakes in pursuit of it, and you will not struggle in the pain of not getting what you want. This film pours the tenderness of childhood into the whole river of life. Instead of reminiscing about the beauty of the past, it admits that every moment is precious, seeing the laughter, distress and tears of all human beings, and discovering that life itself has Abundant meaning. Of course, you have to walk a circle to get back here. After going through the road of extremely strict self-discipline, which can be seen in Bergman's previous movies, you can deeply appreciate this kind of completeness and wholeness.
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