A couple of weeks ago I watched the Ingmar Bergman film
Persona, which I hadn’t seen in something like 7 years, when it was screened in one of my classes as a student. At the time when I first watched it, I remember the central ‘thing’ that people focused on was whether the two characters were the same person. Now, it is not really the ‘question’ of whether the two characters are the same person, or even the ‘breaking of the fourth wall’ that stick out when watching this film…but the writing, acting, and cinematography, all of which are so well done that they strengthen a film that is maybe not as ‘profound’ as some have claimed. As it has been said with something like poetry, it is the ‘how’ it is done that is more important than the ‘what’ that is said. Dan touches upon this
in his review:
“
Persona is self-conscious, narcissistic, and not too psychologically deep, for there is no real reason offered for Alma’s identification with Elisabet, nor her breakdown, but it is the ultimate style over substance film, and as such attains its true greatness, despite the visual sleight of hand that leads many to be sucked into its hollow posturing as some source of great depth. But, more so, it’s a grandly entertaining film, more than it is a deep one, giving the psychologically naïve much to talk about as Bergman deceives the viewer into deep thought over the shallow.”
A couple of weeks ago I watched the Ingmar Bergman film Persona, which I hadn’t seen in something like 7 years, when it was screened in one of my classes as a student. At the time when I first watched it, I remember the central ‘thing’ that people focused on was whether the two characters were the same person. Now, it is not really the ‘question’ of whether the two characters are the same person, or even the ‘breaking of the fourth wall’ that stick out when watching this film…but the writing, acting, and cinematography, all of which are so well done that they strengthen a film that is maybe not as ‘profound’ as some have claimed. As it has been said with something like poetry, it is the ‘how’ it is done that is more important than the ‘what’ that is said. Dan touches upon this in his review:
“Persona is self-conscious, narcissistic, and not too psychologically deep, for there is no real reason offered for Alma’s identification with Elisabet, nor her breakdown, but it is the ultimate style over substance film, and as such attains its true greatness, despite the visual sleight of hand that leads many to be sucked into its hollow posturing as some source of great depth. But, more so, it’s a grandly entertaining film, more than it is a deep one, giving the psychologically naïve much to talk about as Bergman deceives the viewer into deep thought over the shallow.”
