Review of Passion Of Anna

Introduction

This movie, written and Directed by Bergman in 1969 followed hot on the heels of his classic foray into gothic horror, `The Hour of the Wolf`. It actually draws on some familiar ground too with Max Von Sydow (The Exorcist) and Liv Ullmann playing two of the leading roles again. There are other parallels too. This movie is also set upon a barley populated remote Swedish Island, and this movie (like `Wolf`) uses insomnia as a central theme. But despite the thematic similarities, and familiar casting, the movies sit poles apart.

`Passion` was Bergman`s first colour movie, though the barren grey Nordic landscapes do little to maximise its impact.

Andreas Winkleman (Max Von Sydow) is a forty something divorcee who lives a lonely and isolated life. The dreary routine of hi non-eventful life is broken when a beautiful lady with a limp arrives at his door to borrow his phone. She leaves her bag at his home which gives him the perfect excuse to take it to her. The lady in question (Anna - played by the charming Liv Ullmann) lives with a married couple, Elis and Elva (Erland Josephan and Bibi Anderson). Ellis is a dry-witted foppish aficionado of the arts, and as a professional architect he is racked by a self-destructive cynicism that has made him increasingly difficult and bitter. He also has a Warhol-like penchant for photographing individuals and has amassed a huge carefully archived set of photographs. His beautiful young wife is gregarious and life loving but suffers from chronic insomnia (a recurring Bergman theme) and her love for her cynical husband is steadily draining the life from her.

Anna is an idealist who is passionate about the perfect love she and her now-deceased husband shared before his (and her baby boy`s) untimely deaths.

Andreas leaves the island on business, precipitating an almost inevitable affair between Ewa and Andreas, borne of desperate loneliness and convenience rather than true love.

Andreas is inextricably attracted to the rather serious and morose Anna, and as their love blossoms, she agrees to move in with him and start a new life together. Typically, Bergman then throws in a surreal sub-plot that adds a strange and sinister flavour to proceedings. A psychopathic madman is on the loose on the island, torturing and killing animals with nightmarish brutality. Whilst this has little relevance to the plot, it adds `flavour` to the demise of Anna and Andreas`s relationship. Andreas reads a letter from Anna previous husband and is aware that her `perfect` relationship is anything but, which throws into question all Anna`s reasoning, passion and motivation.

The films conclusion is dramatic and thought provoking, if a little bleak and frankly, leaves you wondering what it was all about. But maybe life is like that.

Video

The picture presented here is a very fine print. It`s also presented in its original aspect ratio - a little used 1:66:1.

Audio

Presented here in its original mono, this is an interestingly bleak and sparse soundtrack. The opening titles give a signal to the style with its desolate soundscape of a wind-chime blowing in the chill winds of a Nordic autumn. Music is used extremely sparingly throughout, and though dialogue is often profuse and intent, somehow the language barrier never gets in the way. Mind You …the subtitles help!

Features

Unlike the R1 release, which houses a veritable treasure trove of extras, this has none other than subtitles for the hard of hearing.However, Bergman uses an interesting device throughout the movie where the actors are interviewed about their roles and characters. Though this breaks the narrative, it doesn`t seem to intrude - so I guess you could argue that the interviews form some kind of `extra`, despite the fact that they are integrated into the movie.

Conclusion

Having been very recently `wowed` by Bergman`s `The Hour of the Wolf` (also enjoying a simultaneous R2 release), this movie was something of a minor disappointment. There`s a grey, sombre sense of hopelessness exuding from this movie, though nothing positive is ever offered up to counterbalance this existential chill. Even the `passion` referred to in its title is revealed as a hoax. Of course the acting is superb, the cinematography impeccable, and the directing inspired. It`s just that it`s also a relentless downer and whilst it may contain some harsh truths about the human condition, I generally like my entertainment to distract me from it. Probably a treat for Bergman completists, but generally not recommended for those looking for something uplifting.