The Cinematheque

Ingmar Bergman takes aim at critics in this romping farce, his first film in colour—and a decided change of pace after the uncompromisingly bleak trilogy of Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light, and The Silence. Jarl Kulle plays a pompous music critic trying to write a biography of a famous cellist, only to be stymied by a ​“harem” of the maestro’s female companions. The latter are played by a fabulous ensemble of Bergman actresses, including Eva Dahlbeck, Bibi Andersson, and Harriet Andersson. Fellini’s 8½ may have been an inspiration for the flamboyant, battle-of-the-sexes antics. Bergman’s film, set in the 1920s, makes impressive use of extravagant sets and costumes and expressive colour, and features some distinctly unBergmanesque slapstick. Cinematographer Sven Nykvist conducted various experiments with colour stock before shooting; Bergman, unsatisfied with the final results, wouldn’t return to colour for several years.