Product: Persona (1967)
Rating: 5.0
Truly a work of art!
Ingmar Bergman, the great filmmaker responsible for both philosophically and psychologically charged titles such as The Seventh Seal (1957) and Hour of the Wolf (1968) will please fans yet again in Persona.Persona is a film which explores the psychological nature of identity, despair, the inner quest for individualism, and more importantly the philosophical theme of existence. As always those interested in existentialism and/or Nihilism need look no further than this Bergman masterpiece to supplement their curiosities in the uncanny/subconscious world. Not only does Bergman masterfully explore these themes through complex dialogue (as he's famous for), but also through beautifully imagery.While literally dozens of scholarly papers on aesthetics and film studies have successfully explored the imagery in Persona, such on-screen representations of emotional and psychological turmoil on the part of the main characters should not be missed. From the famous "burn" during the film's climax (which I mention further in an aesthetics/Bergman article recently written), to the shadow-play of dark and light Bergman uses during the film: this film is amazing.Regardless of what past reviews say, this is one of Bergman's more "tame" works as far as representational content is concerned and yet it manages to truly be an intense, eye-opening experience. Admittedly in the past some Bergman films - despite being of good quality - have been long, drawn out, and somewhat tiring (reading philosophical texts are sometimes similar). Persona doesn't suffer from this intellectual "lag" at all.Whether you're already a Bergman fan or you're just getting into his works, this film is a must see!