10/23/08
Text: Kee Chang
Taschen makes a grand tribute to the late filmmaker Ingmar Bergman with The Ingmar Bergman Archives, and it is a sight to behold. Coming in at close to six hundred pages and weighing a whopping seventeen pounds, this book is a monstrosity. Inside the cover, readers will also find an exclusive DVD featuring never-before-seen documentary footage and an original filmstrip from Bergman’s 1982 film Fanny and Alexander.
Bergman once famously stated, "[people] need to see their realities reflected, transformed into new dimensions, and illuminated by an outside light." The publishers followed this approach to paint an authentic portrait of a man who was at once loved and tormented by his craft. The revealing conversations between Bergman and his long-time collaborators, in-depth interviews with film historians, and the filmmaker’s own account of a tumultuous life all work in unison to revive the seminal memories that shaped his iconic status around the world.
The extensive materials included in the book all convey an overwhelming sense of purpose, and no stone is left unturned. Bergman’s own brutal honesty is refreshing, particularly in his introspective exploration of his dark past. Growing up under a utilitarian household, he remembers being locked up in dark closets to serve as punishment with only his imagination at his fingertips. He would later use this as a directorial tactic by confining actor David Carradine in a closet to help him get into character on the set of The Serpent’s Egg.
Bergman was a fearless innovator who insisted on doing things his own way with fiery passion and boundless ambitions. From tackling sexually provocative subject matters in films like The Virgin Spring and The Silence to paving new pathways for narrative potency with classics like Persona and The Seventh Seal, Bergman continued to impart his brilliance onto the terrain of international cinema in a career that spanned over six decades. His penchant for evoking thematic concerns over subversion and censorship certainly knew no limits. Armed with an infinitely creative vocabulary, Bergman also focused his energy on theater, radio, television, commercials, the ballet, and even the Opera.
The Ingmar Bergman Archives is a tremendous accomplishment and a must-have for Bergman followers. The book is available now in the U.S.
