[Charles Henrickson]

I just saw Smultronstället ("Wild Strawberries") last month--my first Bergman film, believe it or not! It was excellent! (The DVD had some interesting features and commentary on it, btw.)

Ingrid Thulin did a fine job in the film. Her beauty at that time of her life (1957) was stunning.

[expatpat]

Try "The Seventh Seal" and "Virgin Spring".

[wtc911]

Add Sawdust and Tinsel and Persona to your list...also Through a Glass Darkly. No US film maker ever had such a grasp on the human psyche.

After Persona Bergmann drifted away from uncovering the inner workings of the single mind and moved toward the exploration of relationships. Some think this later phase is his better work. I think the fifties-sixties stuff is far more challenging.

Either way, if your IQ is above room temperature and you enjoy film, as opposed to FX, Bergmann is worth more than a look.

btw...I wrote a paper once arguing that Persona, essentially a two character film, was really the exploration of a single mind in the process of break-down.