Ingmar Bergman

[dean_martin]

I had to move things around at home due to a water leak which led me to relocate an old tv, a "hifi" vcr and boxes of vhs tapes to my listening space. I hooked up the vcr to an idle preamp/amp combo and speakers. To try out this 80s/90s setup, I dug through the boxes of tapes and found a copy of Ingmar Bergman's "Sawdust and Tinsel" (B&W, 1953 to 1955 depending on source).

This is an excellent tale of misery set around a traveling circus caravan. The cinematography is strong and many of the scenes are beautifully sad. Picture the horsedrawn circus wagons silhouetted on a hill slowly lumbering upward. See the clown Frost in full makeup rush to the rocky sea shore to retrieve his wife who is cavorting with an entire army regiment. Bergman's distinctive eye shines through even on an old 20" tv via vhs.

I think I have a copy of Bergman's "Wild Strawberries". If I can find it, it's next.