“Did you see bergman’s last picture?....”
- No, I actually haven’t seen it yet, although I’ve had plenty of chances. They’ll probably show it on TV here in Sweden soon though (- I’m convinced a lot of channels will be showing different works by Bergman to honor him during the coming moths).
About “Saraband”, his last movie:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saraband
Anyhow, I did see his last but one film, “In the presence of a clown”. The Swedish title, “Larmar och gör sig till” is in fact inspired by (a certain Swedish translation) of the expression “struts and frets”, found in Shakespear’s “Macbeth”;
“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”
(Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 5)
I’d recommend this film by Bergman to anyone who’s interested in film and/or philosophical, political and existential questions whatsoever.
Even though artists often refuse to explain how to “read” or “view” their works of art, Bergman has actually explained how to “interpret” this film.
In an interview, Bergman said that the “message” of “In the presence of a clown” was that while the belief in large political and idealistic movements aiming to “change” or “rescue” mankind, society and the planet, sadly enough, often turn out to be illusory and self deceiving, a true atmosphere of brotherhood and feeling of affinity is often found in smaller gatherings. Bergman continued by saying something like “the human spirit found in such contexts is something worth believing in, that’s what I’ve come to understand”.
About “In the presence of a clown”:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_The_Presence_of_a_Clown
That was a setup line to an old joke, to which the punchline was "I didn't know he was dead!"............