An innocent youth finds love and, eventually, heartbreak in this film, which ranks among Ingmar Bergman's simplest and most unaffected. Harry (Lars Ekborg), the unworldly, unhappy hero, suffers at his job and in his personal life. Then he falls in love with the superficial Monika (Harriet Andersson), who shows little capacity .. Read more
| Starring | Harry Anderson, Lars Ekborg, John Harryson, George Skarstedt |
|---|---|
| Director | Ingmar Bergman, Ingmar Bergman |
| Genres | Drama, Gay/Lesbian, World Cinema |
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An innocent youth finds love and, eventually, heartbreak in this film, which ranks among Ingmar Bergman's simplest and most unaffected. Harry (Lars Ekborg), the unworldly, unhappy hero, suffers at his job and in his personal life. Then he falls in love with the superficial Monika (Harriet Andersson), who shows little capacity for sensitivity but radiates carnality. Defying the repressive, degrading ways of adult society, the couple flees from the city, their responsibilities, and their problems by stealing a boat and retreating to an island, where they live free of inhibitions or social restrictions. But when the glorious summer comes to an end, the young couple is compelled to return to the city, where their relationship soon disintegrates. Monika gives birth to their child but shows little parental inclination, preferring to sleep late and lounge about. Harry, meanwhile, tries to provide support. Bored, Monika eventually finds another lover, whereupon Harry moves his child from their filthy apartment and determines to make a better life. With its agreeable lead actress and its unadorned style, Sommaren med Monika constitutes one of Bergman's most immediate and accessible films. Harriet Andersson, who became a Bergman regular, shows an unabashed sexuality that would serve her well in subsequent films, and she reveals a canny ability to maintain audience interest, if not sympathy, for a character that is ultimately unappealing, even repellant. Bergman allows Andersson's performance to dominate the film. He generally abstains from emphatic lighting or provocative angles, preferring to accommodate his actress with rich close-ups and sunlit portraits. Andersson's compelling performance, together with the film's idyllic island setting and Bergman's unfailing direction, renders Sommaren med Monika an impressive, noteworthy work.~ Les Stone, All Movie Guide
| Starring | Harry Anderson, Lars Ekborg, John Harryson, George Skarstedt |
|---|---|
| Director | Ingmar Bergman, Ingmar Bergman |
| Studio | PALISADES TARTAN |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 31 mins LOVEFiLM Instant: 1 hr 35 mins |
| Certificate |  DVD LOVEFiLM Instant |
| Genres | Drama, Gay/Lesbian, World Cinema |
| Language | DVD: Swedish LOVEFiLM Instant: Swedish |
| Subtitles | DVD: English LOVEFiLM Instant: English |
| Released | Production year: 1952 To Watch Online: LOVEFiLM Instant: 02 Apr 2010 To Rent: DVD: 28 Oct 2002 |
| Watch now | Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant. Subscribe. |
Probably truthful but rather glum and unsophisticated drama of young love; not among Bergman's most interesting films.
- 6
- 1
This starts as a ...
This starts as a seductive film were we are bourne along on an escapist dream of you love and lust. The fact that characters are working class means that this ... read more »
[Highly rated reviewer]
- 2
- 0
Like Walkabout, a teenage boy's wet dream.
Two restless teenagers Harry and Monica, unhappy with both their homelives and their jobs skip the city on his father's boat and spend an idyllic few weeks... read more »
- 0
- 0
Simple and pure film making
Beautifully realised movie, simple but beguiling with two excellent leads. Bergmans control of pace may not be to everyones liking, but i have yet to feel let ... read more »
[Highly rated reviewer]
- 1
- 1
The original 'Juno'
This is a beautifully photographed film, gorgeous landscapes and a very realistic theme. Teenage angst as it was before most of us were born. Definitely ... read more »
See the entire LOVEFiLM Bergman Collection here Checkmate. Death has finally taken the great Swedish master, Ingmar Bergman, as he always knew it must. No filmmaker wrestled longer and more painfully with the knowledge of his own mortality. His father was a severe Lutheran minister, and a figure who cast a long shadow over Bergman's films, including his premature swansong, Fanny and Alexander (1982), and perhaps his purest masterpiece, Winter Light (1962), a portrait of a pastor who has lost... Read more
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