Sehnsucht der Frauen

Four sisters-in-law sit around a table and tell each other stories of how they fell in love.

It's Ingmar Bergman's first comedy and that's probably why this particular film appealed to him, with its anthology structure. Bergman assembled his usual flawless cast and gave them roles they sink themselves into, with a gradually ascending level of hilarity in the four. Yet like all good comedies, like all good stories, it has a serious, if not particularly solemn statement to to make: love isn't one thing to all people. It's different for every human being.

Gunnar Fischer's black-and-white cinematography is lush and romantic. That's something modern audiences don't understand: black and white photography is more romantic than color, because it hides more; by reducing vivid life to mochmatic mages, it engages the viewer, forcing him or her to imagine, to invest effort into the viewing, and thus engage in the creative process. Bergman knew this, and with the help of his fine cameramen, brought this to life.

I am a great admirer of Ingmar Bergman, Sweden's greatest director, and his films. Waiting Women(or Secrets of Women) is not one of his very finest, but it is one of his most underrated. Perhaps it is a touch overlong and episodic, but compared to everything else on display they are entirely forgivable. Bergman's direction is polished and never detached, while the film looks beautiful and is photographed every bit as strikingly. The music is hauntingly understated, the right approach for the story Waiting Women is conveying, while the writing is splendid(as is the comic finale) especially in the elevator sequence. The three stories that form the film are done in a heart-warming yet sincere way, the first is a tad clichéd and probably the weakest of the three but still does its job well, while the second story was the one with the most heart and the third was the one with the most pleasantly funny moments. What really matters is that all three had subjects that anybody can identify with and dealt with them realistically. The characters weren't the most likable on the planet, nor were they intended to be. That said, I wasn't annoyed or frustrated by them. All six leads give deeply felt and believable performances, Eva Dahlbeck and Gunner Bjornstrand are particularly note-worthy. Overall, while not one of Bergman's best it is one of his more underrated films and is very well done. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Sisters in law do reveal, why married life's so far from ideal, their journeys to (some) contentment, established often on resentment (from them or their partner or both), and how it's left a mark and how they feel. Rakel had an affair with her best friend, Marta caught a child and so was penned, Karin got a confession, Annette mild depression, and Maj, aims to become them in the end.

Rejoice that the worlds we live in today, in at least some parts of the planet, have holes in their nets big enough for the trapped to escape and forge futures for themselves, unburdened by tradition and past practices.

I love this movie; although not amongst Bergman's best, it is very funny in parts and should not be shunned. Maybe slightly overlong - each time I watch it I wait impatiently for the lift-scene near the end of the film - but very much worthwhile. Indeed, the scene in the lift with Gunnar Bjornstrand (great actor) and Eva Dahlberg is fascinating, funny and frivolous - for the year it was made.

Four women await their husbands/lovers and tell stories of their early encounters with these men. I won't go through the plot but suffice it to say that there is selfishness, self- loathing, sacrifice, and even some empty headed joy. One story tells of a spiteful woman and her boring husband. A childhood lover comes while he is gone and has tryst with her. She tells her husband and this leads to some soul searching. The second is an encounter with an artist that leads to a child being born and his self-centered departure. The third is a couple, married for several years, trapped on an elevator, giving what they say is an honest view of one another. The fourth has arranged to run off with her boyfriend, leaving the family behind. This may sound a bit vapid, but it is done with a master's touch, with the artistry that is Bergman. Every bit of cinema is framed and filled with emotion.