PERSONA (1966) - ♦♦♦♦♦
Directed by - Ingmar Bergman
Written by - Ingmar Bergman
Starring - Bibi Andersson, Liv Ullmann
"PERSONA has been defined as one of the most important works of the twentieth century, and that is a point that is hard to argue agains. While it's narrative is relatively simple, it allows BERGMAN's film to be open to many interpretation and takes on the many themes upon which it delves.
PERSONA follows the story of a young nurse. As she takes care of a well known actress who has mysteriously ceased speaking, her personality progressively starts to blend in with hers.
The most obvious reading of the film might be hinted at the title, which refers to the latin words for masks worn by actors, and could be an observation on the acting method as a woman's intense research for her character. However, the experimental approach utilised by BERGMAN both with his enchantingly enigmatic and sometimes poetic dialogue, which itself seems a reference to traditional theatre, offers a compelling take on many more earthly examinations of womanhood in general - from female social standing, the issue of motherhood and abortion, sexuality and so on.
Such an experimental approach is also made all the more engaging by its imagery. The stunning black and white photography is the fruit of the sixth collaboration between the director and his cinematographer of choice, SVEN NYKVIST, and here his concern with tight frameworks and fascination with close-ups of human faces intensify the psychologically dense atmosphere of the film through admirable minimalism, and further engage the viewer in a metaphysical way through its flirtation with the contrast of realism and what might be fantasised about, dreamt or imagined. The most representative of these images is, of course, the one in which one of the actresses stares straight into the camera, whilst the other stands at a 90-degree angle looking ahead - a shot referenced by, among others, WOODY ALLEN in LOVE AND DEATH.
Given the dominance of the two female figures of the film's narrative, PERSONA also required excellent performances by its actresses BIBI ANDRESSON, as the nurse, and LIV ULLMANN, as the actress. Not only are such performances delivered, but the two great Swedish actresses also appear to be completely immersed in a dreamlike intensity that envelops the film as a whole, therefore their turns remain absolutely cohesive to the fascinating vision of the complete feature - powerful and collected without seeming overtly eccentric, despite the delicate shifts in tone and haunting character development."
Drama, Sweden
