In catching up with my favorite director, I watched two great films. Both of these foreign classics are written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, and they star Liv Ullmann. (SPOILERS)
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| The Passion of Anna |
The Passion of Anna has a 100% rating on RottenTomatoes.com. It was the runner-up for Best Film at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards and the National Society of Film Critics Awards, where it also won Best Director. Face to Face has a 78% rating on RottenTomatoes.com. It received Oscar nominations for Best Actress and Best Director, as well as BAFTA/Golden Globe nods for Best Actress and a Golden Globe win for Best Foreign Film.
Winner: Face to FaceThe setup.
In Face to Face, Dr. Jenny Isaksson (Ullmann), a psychiatrist, meets Dr. Tomas Jacobi (Erland Josephson), and she slowly starts to have a mental breakdown. In The Passion of Anna, a man named Andreas Winkelman (Max von Sydow) is dealing with the breakup of his marriage when he meets Anna (Ullmann), who has lost her husband and son in a car crash.
Winner: The Passion of Anna |
| Face to Face |
Both of these films are shot beautifully by Sven Nykvist. The Passion of Anna follows Andreas and his relationships with Anna and others, intercutting "interviews" with the actors discussing their characters at certain moments in the film. Face to Face chronicles Jenny's dissent into hysteria, introducing elements of her traumatic past within a dreamlike state that she enters after a failed suicide attempt.
Winner: The Passion of AnnaThe ending.
In Face to Face, Jenny appears to overcome her past, and life goes on. In The Passion of Anna, Andreas and Anna part ways, discovering that they were never in love at all.
Winner: Face to FaceThe wild card.
The Passion of Anna has Bergman regular Bibi Andersson in a key supporting role. Face to Face has another Bergman regular in Gunnar Bjornstrand as Jenny's grandfather.
Winner: The Passion of Anna |
| The Passion of Anna |
Ratings: The Passion of Anna - ****, Face to Face - ****
Note: I'm going by U.S. release date for The Passion of Anna, which was released in Sweden in 1969.
Shit, tough call man, tough call. I think Ullmann is better in Face to Face (I actually think it's her best performance ever, period), but I do agree that Anna is the better film. Great write up!
ReplyDeleteThanks man! Yeah, I remember you had Ullmann's performance in Face to Face on your top ten, and I totally agree she's better in it. I can't decide whether her best performance is in Face or Scenes from a Marriage, but I'm leaning toward Face.
DeleteAnna was an easy call. One of my new favorites from Bergman.
I actually went back and rewatched Face to Face and Scenes From a Marriage before my post. Definitely a tough call.
DeleteYeah, I could flip a coin and be happy with either choice.
DeleteUnfortunately I can't chime in as I have not seen either :(
ReplyDeleteCan't say they're easy watches (especially Face to Face), but if you like Bergman, I'd recommend them.
DeleteSkipping this post due to the spoilers. I haven't seen either of these films, and I want to see everything by Bergman. :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's a good idea. You definitely need to check these out. :)
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