What It's About:

In "Through a Glass Darkly", schizophrenic Karin (Andersson) comes undone on a family vacation when she learns her writer father (Björnstrand) has been using her illness for his own literary ends. "Winter’s Light" details the spiritual crisis of village pastor Tomas Ericsson (Björnstrand), who loses his way in the face of the soullessness of the modern nuclear age. The erotic "Silence" rounds out the set, with the tale of sisters Anna (Gunnel Lindblom) and Ester (Thulin), who stop over in a foreign city due to Ester’s sudden illness and are forced to confront long-repressed tensions while they vie for the attention of Anna’s son. Finally, Vilgot Sjöman’s documentary "Ingmar Bergman Makes a Movie" follows Bergman during the production of "Winter Light".

Why I Love It:

There are few authentic film visionaries like Ingmar Bergman, and his “Trilogy” offers a unique opportunity to watch the master at a key turning point in his career. He’d already created masterpieces like "The Seventh Seal" and "Wild Strawberries", but here turns further inward and begins using his art to express his own spiritual confusion. Wisely, the director recruits many of his favorite performers to animate his exploration (regulars Björnstrand, von Sydow, Andersson, and Thulin). He also began working with legendary cameraman Sven Nykvist, and their budding collaboration accounts for these films’ striking black and white cinematography. "Glass" scored Bergman his second Academy Award nomination, but the other two entries are equally distinguished. For deep moral inquiry, expressive cinematic technique, and intensity of performance, this Trilogy is unmatched. (Also, Sjöman’s accompanying documentary is an illuminating complement to these three great films.)