[.ca] Smiles Of A Summer Night

From Amazon.com:
Ingmar Bergman achieved international stardom with this classic melancholy comedy about the romantic entanglements of three 19th-century couples during a weekend at a country estate. It's exactly what you'd expect from a bedroom farce filtered through the ideas and eyes of Bergman: sharp, serious, pensive, austerely sexy, and ultimately sobering. Still, anyone who thought the Swedish filmmaker was incapable of a little fun has only to watch Bergman's orchestrations of these dangerous liaisons. Prosperous lawyer Fredrik (Gunnar Björnstrand) is married to the comely young Anne (Ulla Jacobsson), who (despite his best efforts) remains a virgin. Henrik (Björn Bjelfvenstam), Fredrik's grown son from a previous marriage, is desperately in love with Anne--and having an affair with the maid (Harriet Andersson)--despite the torturings of his pious soul. When actress Desiree (Eva Dahlbeck), Fredrik's former mistress, breezes into town, Fredrick pays her a visit, only to find himself jealous of her relationship with the piggish Count Malcolm (Jarl Kulle), who just happens to be married to Anne's best friend, the depressed and suicidal Charlotte (Margit Carlqvist); both women have a decided bone to pick with Desiree. All convene at the estate of Desiree's mother for a weekend of confrontations, illicit romance, dinner, dueling, and eventual pairing with the right romantic partner. Bergman winningly conveys the aspects of love among both the young and the old--those who feel they'll live forever and those whose impending mortality colors their actions. Absolutely brilliant and heartfelt, a true cinematic masterpiece. The basis for Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, of "Send in the Clowns" fame. --Mark Englehart

One Star Is Too Many:
There is humor, English humor and (apparently) Swedish humor (Bergman's humor to be more precise). It's true that compared with other Bergman's movies (where there is always someone, who is dying, already dead, thinking of death (or playing with death) or crippled) this one can be considered just hilarious. Just think of this period (circa 1955) when Fellini made already I Vitelloni (1953), La Strada (1954) and Il Bidone (1955) and then we have "Smiles" by Bergman. No wonder that Bergman himself was very much surprised by the success of his movie in Cannes. To cut a long story short, I just want to say that this movie is a very weak attempt at comedy with a very theatrical performance. The story line is pretty much predictable and weak. Just leave aside this almost universal admiration of Bergman and watch this movie again (if you can, of course) and don't forget what Bergman said in one of his last interviews that looking back he had to admit that his movies were rather depressing.

Intriguing Deceits in Terrific Bergman Comedy...:
Ingmar Bergman directed a romantic comedy when he filmed Smiles of a Summer Night that is as playful as Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights Dream and is set in a small scale backdrop of Renoir's Rules of the Game (1939). Despite the similarities of other stories Bergman creates a unique comedy that is full of conspiring intrigue as it revolves around a small number of characters at the turn of the century in a small Swedish town. Fredrik Egerman (Gunnar Björnstrand), a successful middle-aged lawyer and former widower, has remarried with Anne (Ulla Jacobsson) who is at least twenty years younger than him. Fredrik's son, Henrik (Björn Bjelfvenstam), from his previous marriage, is of the same age as Anne and has recently arrived home from completing his theological examinations. Petra, the family maid, flirts with Henrik as he expresses his liking for the opposite sex. As a consequence, Henrik is struggling with an overwhelming inner guilt originating from his incapability to live by his lofty values stemming from his Christian faith. In addition, the prominent actress Desiree Armfeldt (Eva Dahlbeck), a previous lover to Fredrik, is performing at the town theater. Fredrik makes nightly visit to Desiree which puts him in harms way as Desiree's current lover, Carl Magnus (Jarl Kulle), a military officer known for his success in duels visits at the same time. However, this is just the beginning for all the predicaments that Fredrik is about to experience. Smiles of a Summer Night is a well-written comedy with several subplots that drive the main theme, love, forward as it displays Bergman's wide range of story telling. Bergman displays a simple story which becomes complex as the characters are continually dishonest. It is the profound level of deceitfulness in the story that produces intrigue and brings about the comedy. As the final scene fades away in memory, the audience has gone through a first class cinematic experience that will lighten and enlighten those who participated.

Film that made Ingmar Bergman:
Ingmar Bergman made many films, this one made him. Although a marvelous achievement in its own right, this matchless comedy of manners, "Smiles Of A Summer Night" stands out as a landmark, recognized by many as such during the past 50 years. Most recently it made the All-TIMES 100 list of best films compiled by renowned film critics Corliss and Schickel for Times Magasine. As late as in an interview recorded in 2003, Ingmar Bergman agreed to call "Smiles Of A Summer Night" a watershed in his film career. "After its success", he recalled "I had my hands free... I was able to do whatever I wanted to do." Truly enough, he went on to make, in immediate succession, such great films like "The Seventh Seal" and "Wild Strawberries". And it was only the beginning of what best can be described as Bergmansk phenomenon. "The Virgin Spring", Through A Glass Darkly", "Persona", "Cries and Whispers", "Autumn Sonata", "Fanny and Alexander". One true classic after the other was bestowed upon us by this undisputed grandmaster of the world cinema during the course of his rich, fruitful career. With superb acting, lively dialog and impeccable cinematography, "Smiles" leaves nothing to be desired. It seems to be a happy story, at least from the audience's point of view. Still, the director recalls, in his published memoirs, how depressed he was being stuck with the script, how bad he felt during production, and how embarrassed he was to find out about film's great success at Cannes, where it won the Grand Prix. All this was unprecedented for the producers, the Svensk Filmindustri as they responded "like an old lady who never knew to waltz, now suddenly being asked by a variety of cavaliers", to quote Bergman.

Bergman Gives Us Lots To "Smile" About:
The first time I saw "Smiles of a Summer Night" I thought is was an OK film, nothing more, nothing less. I was use to seeing the powerful, bleak, gritty dramas such as "Shame", "The Seventh Seal", "Wild Strawberries", and "A Passion of Anna". "Smiles" was entertaining, but not memorable. It just didn't have the lasting power those other films had. I have now seen the film again. And while maybe it is true this movie does not have the lasting power Bergman's other films have, that does not mean you shouldn't see it. "Smiles of a Summer Night" is actually pretty funny, and I don't just mean by Bergman's standards. It succeeds on its own as a comedy-of-manners. The only other Bergman comedy I have seen is his vastly underrated "The Devil's Eye". Between the two I prefer "Eye", but "Smiles" still has its own charm. Fredrik Egerman (Gunnar Bjornstrand) is married to Anne (Ulla Jacobson) and is having an affair with actress and former fling Desiree Armfeldt (Eva Dahlbeck). Too bad for Fredrik, Anne finds out. But Desiree is also seeing another man, Carl Magnus (Jarl Kulle) who is also married to one of Anne's friends, Charlotte (Margit Carlqvist), who also knows about he husband's "past time". Soon all of these people get together to spend a weekend in the country as Desiree throws a party in an attempt to win back Fredrik. This all sounds very usually for Bergman, but, as I said he is able to pull it off. Many may find the story-line resembles Woody Allen's "A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy", and that's because this is what that movie was based on. Though I prefer Bergman's film to Allen's. Did you ever think Ingmar Bergman would make a better comedy than Woody Allen? I know it sounds odd, but wait until you see this film. Bottom-line: One of director Ingmar Bergman's funniest films. Surpringly filled with quirky moments and likeable performances from some Bergman regulars. "Smiles of a Summer Night" is worth watching.

A rating of 5 and then some.*******:
This film is perfect -- comedy, drama, you name it. Performances are all tight and Bergman weaves a marvelous tale of how people make fools of themselves at almost all times. They deceive each other and themselves, only wasting large portions of their lives in the process. He is always teaching us a lesson, and I like that in a film. Comic moments abound, however, and the result is uplifting, honest and very real. The film is touted as his only comedy, however, I would not categorize the film this way. There are deeply felt moments not to be ignored by the viewer. I have seen the film several times and I am very excited that it is now available on DVD. I recommend it highly and I hope that you enjoy it. It is a more than worthy film that satisfies on high ground. It is adult and insightful. Please, do not let this one pass you by if you are at all serious about filmmaking and Bergman's considerable contribution. Let's be grateful for his vast upus.