The Eclipse Viewer – Episode 13 – Early Bergman [Part 1]

Podcast: Download (41.3MB)

This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this episode, David and Trevor talk about Eclipse Series 1: Early Bergman, a collection of five films that helped Ingmar Bergman establish one of the richest bodies of work in 20th century cinema.

About the films:

Before The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries established him as one of the great masters of cinema, Ingmar Bergman created a series of devastating but less well-known psychological character studies, marked by intricate, layered narratives, gritty environments, and haunting visuals. These early films, which show the stirrings of the genius to come, remain the hidden treasures of a European cinema on the cusp of a golden age.

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Timeline for the podcast:

Introduction/Background (00:00:01 – 00:23:47)

Torment (00:23:48 – 00:49:27)

Crisis (00:49:28 – 01:10:42)

Port of Call (01:10:43 – 01:29:05)

Conclusion (01:29:06 – 01:30:00)

Buy The Box Set On Amazon:

Episode Links:

Director Overview:

• The Ingmar Bergman Foundation (official site, in Swedish)
• New York Times obituary
• Ingmar Bergman: In Memory by Roger Ebert
• Ingmar Bergman and the Triumph of Scandinavian Cinema by Mark Winokur and Bruce Holsinger
• Trevor’s Ingmar Bergman reviews posted to his Mookse and Gripes blog

Box Set Reviews:

• DVD Talk review by Jamie S. Rich
• New York Times review by Dave Kehr

Torment:

• David’s Journey Through the Eclipse Series review
• Can’t Stop the Movies review by Andrew Hathaway
• ePinions review by Stephen Murray
• The Film Sufi review by “anonymous”

Crisis:

• David’s Journey Through the Eclipse Series review
• Can’t Stop the Movies review by Andrew Hathaway
• Old School Reviews review by John Nesbitt
• Rapporto Confidenziale review by Leonardo Persia (in Italian)

Port of Call:

• David’s Journey Through the Eclipse Series review
• Can’t Stop the Movies review by Andrew Hathaway
• Ozu’s World review by Dennis Schwarz
• Cine Players review by Demetrius Caesar (in Portuguese)

Next time on the podcast:  David and Trevor will conclude their conversation about Early Bergman by discussing the last two films in the box, Thirst and To Joy. 

Contact us:

• Twitter
• Email: theeclipseviewer (at) gmail.com
• David Blakeslee ( Twitter / Website )
• Trevor Berrett ( Twitter / Website )