Con le migliori intenzioni

Having seen at least a couple dozen Bergman films, this biographical movie made a lot more sense to me than if I hadn't. I could see bits and pieces of his other films, particularly parallels with Fanny and Alexander. This movie was written by but not directed by Ingmar Bergman and tells about a portion of his father and mother's lives (with particular focus on the father). However, unlike the cruel and over-zealous preacher from Fanny and Alexander, Bergman's father is a flawed man full of dichotomies. A very pious and severe man with little sense of humor, he also apparently has no problem with premarital sex (with two different women) and is an advocate for the working poor. I think these inconsistencies and his father's difficulty with expressing normal human emotions lead to Bergman's earlier works (such as the professor in Wild Strawberries and the persistent theme of living in the barren wilds in movies such as The Passion of Anna and Shame).

So, why didn't I score the movie higher? Well despite the insights, the movie was very long and occasionally tedious--particularly for the Bergman novices. Plus, although the movie gave us some insights, the actual span of time covered in the film was rather limited. It was like a glimpse but an incomplete glimpse of the man.

It is the very honesty and intelligence that I find so beguiling and compulsive about the now, late Ingmar Bergman, and this being the life- story of his parents. Sounds great, doesn't it? Like the vast majority I was veered toward the Great Swede director via The Seventh Seal and it surprises me still, that not only did I find time for all his lesser, more ordinary and sometimes rather depressing films, I was after everything he made and associated with. The only other three directors I have vowed to do this for are/were Federico Fellini, Stanley Kubrick and Billy Wilder.

'Normal' period drama i.e. British, probably because it's so commonplace and accepted and even pushed upon us - if we didn't watch Downton Abbey on TV, we felt almost chastised! doesn't move me much, possibly because by now, most of the popular novels and adaptations have been re-done so many times. However, I find it rather calming and enjoyable to look through the eyes of 19th C Swedish middle-class family life and as such, Bille August's direction and period detail is never less than 100% convincing.

The picture quality of the DVD is excellent, subtle yet full of life and texture. The ratio fills a standard widescreen format, so you get all of the picture. Compared to the rather poor transfer I have of Bergman's Scenes From A Marriage, this is near perfect. The score is simple yet sympathetic, too.

Bergman stalwart Max von Sydow is perfect as the grandfather and Permilla August (the director's wife) as Anna Bergman, to be Ingmar's mother. In some ways it helps to know of - and appreciate - the genius, yes, genius, that the couple went onto bear, but not essentially so as the story of young love but disapproving parents and society is a such a universal one that in fact it can be enjoyed by everyone.

Lastly, whilst I'm not complaining, my DVD is clearly marked as a 'PG' yet there is female topless nudity and subsequent mild sex scenes that's quite prevalent, especially near the start. Whilst children are very unlikely to watch this, especially alone, parents should know of this and whilst '15' is possibly too strong, especially for a more relaxed European film, a '12' would be more appropriate.

The winner of the Palme d'Or in 1992, The Best Intentions gave Danish director Bille August his second win of the highest award of the most prestigious film festival in the world, for a film Ingmar Bergman had written. Bergman himself never won the award and didn't direct The Best Intentions, even though he was still directing two decades after his fictional retirement with Fanny and Alexander (1982). If most people in English-speaking countries have never heard of The Best Intentions, there may be a reason- the vast majority would find a three-hour, subtitled unhappy marriage drama unappealing and boring. To some, however, there is a lot to recommend here.

The film touches on issues of faith, the role of church in a changing society, a deteriorating marriage- many topics of which appear throughout Bergman's filmography. A priest struggles on the outskirts of the world in a small community, believing he might do some good, but his wife is deeply unhappy. There are some conflicts with locals who do not like him, including for renting out the church for socialist meetings. Henrik himself is no saint, not particularly deep, sometimes violent against his wife- aspects we see of him as the fictionalized Edvard in Fanny and Alexander. But here we see him suffer a lot more, and it inspires sympathy. Edvard also suffers and I felt sympathy for him too, but Fanny and Alexander is not his film. In a way, The Best Intentions feels like both Ingmar's criticism and reconciliation with his deeply flawed parents.

The Petrus subplot also inspires sympathy and shock- the running to the stream scene is by far the most intense part of the film. It's definitely worth a mention, even if it makes a small part of the running time.

In this film, we meet Henrik Bergman, a good but flawed man who seeks to serve God. We are also introduced to Anna, his future wife and mother of Ingmar Bergman. Henrik makes do with very little, but will not sacrifice his pride in order to enjoy a better life. He is a man of deep convictions. Anna, on the other hand, is accustomed to the finer things life has to offer, and will not be denied her desires.

Henrik and Anna have to clear many hurdles, some of their own making, before they marry and move to a forbidding town in northern Sweden where they gracefully undertake their duties as the new religious leaders. It is specially in this part of the movie that we are shown the human frailties of those who represent the church and guide the flock. The best intentions (although the title does not necessarily refer to this) do not saints make. One has to strive to become a better person on a daily basis, and realize one's shortcomings. The characters in this movie do, and it makes one able to better relate to them.

Like the locomotives one sees so often steaming through the glorious landscapes of this story, this movie starts chugging slowly at first - although never boring -- and barrels full steam ahead during the second half. The entire movie is 181 minutes. I recommend it highly, giving it 9/10.

A couple. A far village. And lands of ice. Tale about Ingmar Bergman parents in Bergman style. Shadows of his filmography. And a story at century beginning. Body of marriage. And bones of common tensions. A key but, in same measure, a huge window. Each scene is only picture of same album. Love as lead river, pain, sin, cruelty, world like strange game, people as punctuation of tangled sentence, testimonies and harsh crumbs of hope, cruelty, demons and God as paper sun. Desert of ice and snow, ash and solitude, words as stones and each character like pray. A beautiful sad movie if ignore Bergman. A kind of sequel if Bergman is present for viewer. A meeting with Nax von Sydow for everyone. And Pernilla August in one of her interesting role.