The Criterion Chronicles - Summer With Monika

This is an ongoing series in which I chronicle the films of the Criterion Collection that I watch. I will include a brief synopsis and my thoughts. I usually watch these films on Hulu Plus' Criterion Channel..... I am currently paid by neither..

Ingmar Bergman' 1953 film tells the story of Harry Lund, an ambitious and responsible 19 year old who falls in love with Monika, the flighty and romantic 17 year old. They quit their jobs and steal away in his father's boat and spend the Summer on an isolated island. When Monika gets pregnant, they decide to go back home and marry. Very quickly, they both begin to realize that the same differences in personalities that attracted them to each other in the first place are now driving them further apart.

During Ingmar Bergman's entire career, he used two cinematographers almost exclusively. Sven Nykvist and Gunnar Fischer. This film was shot beautifully by the ladder. Fischer, who also collaborated with him on "The Magician", "The Seventh Seal" and "Wild Strawberries" has put together some of the best exteriors of Bergman's filmography. The entire second act of this movie takes place outside and he took full advantage of the breathtaking Swedish countryside. I love reflection shots and he uses the still water to bounce light and shadows into the lens in a truly amazing fashion. There are also a lot of scenes that take place during the first and last light of the day. This 'magic hour' combined with slightly abstracted angles gives some great silhouetted images against an overcast backdrop that I've always been very keen on.

This, like most of Ingmar Bergman's work begins with a rather capricious and light hearted tone and ends on

a far more serious note. By its final credits, you feel as though you have experience the equivalent of a cinematic gut-punch. I'm sure he was a fan of Shakespeare's work and because of films like this one, has been referred to the greatest dramatist since the 16th century playwright. I personally consider him among Alfred Hitchcock and Akira Kurosawa as one of the three most influential filmmakers in history. You could easily make the case for him simply by the sheer amount of great work he has done. This film is a great example of his good work... but falls short of being a good example of his great work. If you are so far unfamiliar with his other films, I wouldn't suggest you start with this one... But, get around to it nonetheless....

Enjoy.