WINTER LIGHT (1962)

Original Title: Nattvardsgästerna

Directed by: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Björnstrand, Max von Sydow, Gunnel Lindblom
Run time: 81 minutes

After seeing Through a Glass Darkly I am intrigued to watch this one. Especially since the critics seems to praise it and I myself wanted to finish the so called trilogy of faith by Bergman. So what silence it is actually? I still have to guess it, was it the silence of God or a man? Pastor Tomas Ericsson (Gunnar Bjornstrand), who seem to have some  major doubts on his faith but unable to materialize it into words. The film start and ends abruptly as Tomas makes his sunday sermon.

Tomas must face another problem, the fisherman Jonas (Von Sydow) is very sad and kill himself and then there is Marta (Ingrid Thulin) who cares and loves the pastor. But Tomas doesn't know how to respond to such feelings, he even hurt Marta verbally. Tomas seems to have difficulties in helping others based on what he believed in. He even cannot help himself psychologically. He seem powerless in changing his own fate.

What cause it to happen? It does not being explained but one can easily guessed that perhaps faith has something to do with it or perhaps Tomas is just a plain stiff man.

Although it does not being addressed directly but it seems the whole film is about questioning the existence of God in a quiet way and also about pain. Pain of being a believer just like what Marta says; “If only we could feel safe and dare show each other kindness. If only we had some truth to believe in. If only we could believe.”

The acting is very satisfying and somehow I get the feeling of coldness and tension from this film. Coldness and stiffness since it only use small number of location. It lacks the visual awesomeness of Persona (1966) but I think from the trilogy, this is the strongest one after Through A Glass Darkly.

Overall the film really lived up to my expectations. It is not being too difficult to comprehend but has a very deep meaning and I loved how this film is being made in black and white, it makes the tension looks elegant.