Buster Keaton's life was both a comedy and a tragedy.
Years ago, when I was first introduced to the comedies of Buster, I witnessed someone whose universal appeal was immediately evident in his unique style and stage presence. He was an everyman (almost always playing the underdog), yet he was like no one I'd ever seen before. He moved like a cartoon character, performed stunts that to this day seem beyond human capacity, and he did it all with a…
The earliest standout film in the Bergman catalog for me. A fractured marriage story that was worth following through its heartbreaking ups and downs. The use of music was a highlight, infusing Beethoven orchestral performances between many pivotal scenes. I'm also starting to notice how much he relies on flashbacks as a storytelling device.
I rarely wish a nonlinear plot was flattened out, but I feel that could have been a benefit here. The main story and the two side stories here crossed to the point of losing focus and interest in some of the characters we followed. The core couple were interesting enough and well performed and the use of dreams as false memories made for real good fake out moments. The growth is always noticable in the camera work and style film after film as well and it's fun to see Bergman coming into his own.
I went into this film knowing there would be method acting but you can't convince me it didn't solely come from Joan Crawford's choice to wear glasses.
