From the Life of the Marionettes [VHS]
Perhaps the most shocking and provocative of all Bergman's dramas,From the Life of the Marionettesfocuses on a successful but troubled couple who appear briefly inScenes from a Marriage.  Peter and Katerina have a life that, on the surface, seems perfect.  But beneath the facade, lies a loveless marriage marked by antagonism and cruelty.  Locked in a desolate relationship, Peter often dreams of killing his elusive wife, an act that would allow him to possess her finally and completely.  An encounter with a prostitute--also named Katerina---sparks in him an explosive rage that leads to an unspeakable crime.  For this disturbing study of repression, obsession, and murder, Bergman contrasts stark black-and-white flashbacks with vivid color images that flood the screen with the horror of the present.  Filmed during the director's exile in Germany.