This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Nice effects though.

A lot of fun.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

. . . during the 1912 Stockholm Olympics ("What this country needs is a good 10-round semi-automatic") is given a lot of credence during THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY. With a second-generation psycho chick in the family who initiates her gay younger brother into the World of Boy-Girl Sex after being raped herself by a cold-eyed Spider God, viewers will wonder where this household has misplaced all of their firearms. For instance, when "Karin" opens Daddy's desk drawer, does she find something useful, like a .45? Nope, all she plucks out is his diary! While Karin's dad, husband, and younger brother (three DIFFERENT guys, since you never know with a Swedish flick) take turns crying and sobbing in hopeless despair at the quartet's vacation cottage, there doesn't seem to be as much as a .22 rifle on hand to smooth out this clan's boring dysfunction. "Scandanavian" countries such as Sweden are constantly making fun of America's gun-play death rate (even though Norway boasts the current World Record Champ for a shooting iron killing spree). However, DARKLY illustrates the kind of sick agony that results when family disputes cannot be resolved the American Way.

THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY is a drama about a young woman, who suffers from mental illness, relationships, illusions and religion.The story takes place during a 24-hour period while four family members take their vacation on a remote island. A novelist, who has just returned from a long trip abroad, suffers from "writer's block". His daughter is released from an asylum where she has been treated for schizophrenia. His immature son feels deprived of his father's affection. A fourth family member is his patient and considerate son in law. A 24-hour of family drama, through games, lies, deception, passions, pain and faith...This is a realistic story about a mentally isolated people, who, in a kind of shock and tragedy seek for the necessary love. The protagonists wander aimlessly. They respond differently to a hopeless situation. This is evident during "mental wandering" of the main actress. Lonely souls try to feel the love through the knowledge of God. A disturbed mind has the illusion of encounter with God. That frightening contrast is a direct reflection of alienated minds. The sad and gloomy atmosphere in summer days on a remote island is another indication of that eclipse.The characterization is excellent.Harriet Andersson as Karin is aware of her agony and madness from which he can not escape. Her face is a reflection of the dark side of her soul and a puzzle with which she must live. Ms. Andersson has offered an unforgettable performance.Gunnar Björnstrand as David, her father, is a curious and sullen at the same time. He is a man who expresses his art while absorbs human souls. A strange feeling of guilt in a selfish being is very interesting. Max von Sydow as Martin, her husband, is a doctor who loves, understands, wants to make a change and feels helpless. Lars Passgård as Minus, her younger brother, is a hyperactive, sexually frustrated and confused child, who is not aware of the real problem.Consciousness seeks for knowledge through madness.

Ingmar Bergman I love and admire very much, and Through a Glass Darkly is another example of a brilliant film. It may not be among Bergman's finest like The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries, Fanny and Alexander, Cries and Whispers and Persona, but there is much to love. The cinematography as ever from Sven Nykist looks atmospheric and beautiful at the same time and the scenery likewise. Bergman's direction is as ever accomplished, allowing us to be constantly engaged no matter how bleak the story is, and this is quite an unrelenting and I think incredibly moving story. His summer images are far from the optimistic ones we are used to, but bleaker and more searching. Considering the story though, this approach was necessary I think. The music is as ever haunting, and the film is very thought-provoking, which has always been the case actually with the written quality of Bergman's films. Of the acting, Harriet Andersson has a role that is quite impossible, but she is just outstanding in it. Max Von Sydow as ever impresses with his knowing face and commanding presence, and Gunner Bjornstrand gives a performance that requires him to be morbidly curious and helpless than his somewhat droll one in The Seventh Seal and he excels here. In a nutshell, brilliant and definitely worth watching. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Bergman is still dealing with some of the same big issues (Is there a god?, What's the meaning of art?, etc.) but now on a much more human level. The preachiness is gone, and the characters are no longer archetypes. Just human beings struggling with the difficulties of living. Phenomenal, understated performances all around, and beautiful cinematography more than compensate for occasional hints of staginess in this chamber drama with just 4 characters; a father, his son and schizophrenic daughter, and her husband who loves her in spite of her illness. All the characters are human, identifiable, occasionally ugly, and true. And somehow this led to me thinking much more deeply about my own life then the impressive, but more on-the-nose cosmic questioning of 'The Seventh Seal' or even 'Wild Strawberries'.