Images — Ingmar Bergman

I have never seen an Ingmar Bergman film. They have always seemed to me to be the epitome of impenetrable, confusing European art-house cinema. This book doesn’t change that impression, but it does make me want to watch some of these films.

At the end of his career, the legendary film director spent a year watching all his films and reminiscing about making them. This book is the result. He led a pretty interesting and eventful life, and there are lots of fun stories about him and all the others involved in making the films.

There are many witty and profound aphorisms too. I came to this book after reading Dorthe Nors’s book Minna Needs Rehearsal Space: in that novel, Minna carries a copy of Images with her and quotes it frequently. I liked the sound of it, so I got a copy and I’m glad I did.

So. Impenetrable, confusing European art-house cinema? Actually, that’s the sort of film I like, so if I can force myself to sit in front of a screen for a few hours I might finally get around to seeing The Seventh Seal or one of Bergman’s other masterpieces.