Saraband | Review

Bergman’s final film lays it on thick and heavy.

Armored with a glacial pulse and stone hearts, the male characters that inhibit this penetrating drama shows that even when the grains of sand in an hour glass are almost passed through that forgiveness has no place when feelings of resentment are so deeply embedded. The nation that gave us tennis players, an oddly named disco-era group, meatballs and easy-to-put together wood furniture with bizarre names also gave the world famous film director that always took the artistic plunge into the psyche and the multiple layers found in what we call, – the human condition. Despite that the project was envisioned as a television series, with Saraband Bergman provides a stunning last tour de force that is surprisingly intense, tense and doesn’t allow for much breathing room.

Set in the outskirts of a small Scandinavian village, this is book-ended as a sort of personal journal entry from the brightly always a pleasure to see perform Liv Ullman who takes on a character she last met in the 1973 film Scenes from a Marriage. The sequel looks into complicated relationship between parent and child from two adult world perspectives and is set in 10 vignettes which gratifyingly provides power struggles, tension-filled relationships, and generational conflicts loaded with both a deep hatred and loving approbations. An atmospheric air of jealously reigns throughout the film forging a balance between ugliness and forgiveness – with women more at ease with the latter emotion. Most interesting is how they take turns admiring a framed black-and-white portrait of not a biblical painting, but of a soul that was more precious than life itself.

Stripped completely bare from distractions – this is the type of film that emphasizes performance – the quartet of actors don’t disappoint as each shot in the crystal clear HD technology is framed so that the auteur can provide his screenplay and each sequence with an array of emotions to choose from. Grayed and wrinkled actors Ullman and Erland Josephson shell out sublime performances with that Nordic emotional rawness and commonly know Scandinavian character trait that is not described in the dictionary. The film’s pivotal sequence between aged father and son showing that it takes one to know one is some strong spew.

The saraband was a sort of erotically-charged dance from way back – and here Bergman pairs of different dance partners that weather the storms despite the emotional break-ups and breakdowns. Such as the image of the waves crashing up against rocky edges of the sea, Saraband is perfectly designed to wreak havoc on the emotions with hurtful dialogues that sting way after initial contact. Some auteurs seem to lose their way a little with age – but dammit this Swede will continue to surprise even in his many afterlives.

Viewed in original Swedish language with English subtitles.

Rating 3.5 stars