jt004k
Joined Jan 2002
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jt004k's rating
After having seen, "Wild Strawberries", I was less than impressed with Bergman's style and delivery. "Through A Glass Darkly" definitely changed my mind. Perhaps the simple setting and characters made it easier for, as a part of the audience, to immerse myself in their world. The acting was without question superior and the script was different and moving without being pretentious. Korin gives us the ability to see ourselves in a different light. The characters that surround her, her father, husband and brother all seem to represent different kinds of love; selfish love, deep love, curious love. There are moments of seeming incest and horror in these relationships, but they don't stray so far from what is conceivable that the audience loses interest and pulls away. In summation, I felt like this film should be viewed by anyone who left "Wild Strawberries" a little dissatisfied. It delivers the same poignancy, minus the pretense.
I found this film to be both touching and disturbing. Innovative and bold, Madchen in Uniform exposes social taboos in its depiction of lesbianism and teacher-student relationships. Beyond the subject matter, I was impressed with the acting and camera work, which seemed to tell a story all on its own. The quality of the film was certainly poor and the subtitles leave much to question, but the overall effect of the film is poignant. It succeeds in lifting the veil which conceals adolescent female life and without exploiting the budding sexuality of young girls, a phenomenon too often seen in cinema today. It seems strange that this careful balance of exposition and preservation was better kept seventy years ago than it is today. Should this movie be re-made now, one would doubtless see nudity,stereotypical lesbian behavior and exploitation of the relationship between the student and teacher. This film reminds us that a film doesn't have to shock us to be sexually provacative.
I really enjoyed this film. With its Bond-esque locations, the quintessential Hitchcock blonde, chic clothes and of course Cary Grant, it surmised for me the pride old Hollywood took in what it produced. Some of the scenery was a bit ridiculous and the acting verged on campy during some pivotal moments, but you can't beat Hitchcock for suspense and this film is no different. A modern audience cannot watch this film without noticing some key elements that its first audience probably didn't even see (i.e. the role of African-Americans in the film, Cold War stereotypes etc.), but perhaps these simply add authenticity to the time the film was trying to capture. All in all, and impressive film and worth seeing.