The Best Intentions

"On one hand, Henry is too conceited to seek the middle ground, having been at the receiving end of humiliation for too long, he is righteous, headstrong, aloof and even a ghost of callousness can be sensed from his clash with a local fat cat Nordenson (Hjulström), which sounds rather personal, not to mention getting steamed up after an audience with Queen Victoria of Sweden (Björk). In his petty heart, he cannot tolerate disagreement. Fröler, always looks somewhat miffed with his perfectly trimmed mustache, refines Henry's wounded dignity with a mask of impassivity, which becomes his defense mechanism towards the world both inside and outside, his feelings for Anna is genuine, but he also resents her for putting him through the wrangler before tying the knot, and when he cannot stand her rich girl's temperament, he simply lashes out, the shouting match inside the chapel relating to their pending wedding arrangement is among one of the most candid and riveting squabbling scenes ever filmed and performed, it is Bergman's perspicacity and the two crackerjack sparring partners at work."

read my full review on my blog: Cinema Omnivore, thanks.

A couple. A far village. And lands of ice. Tale about Ingmar Bergman parents in Bergman style. Shadows of his filmography. And a story at century beginning. Body of marriage. And bones of common tensions. A key but, in same measure, a huge window. Each scene is only picture of same album. Love as lead river, pain, sin, cruelty, world like strange game, people as punctuation of tangled sentence, testimonies and harsh crumbs of hope, cruelty, demons and God as paper sun. Desert of ice and snow, ash and solitude, words as stones and each character like pray. A beautiful sad movie if ignore Bergman. A kind of sequel if Bergman is present for viewer. A meeting with Nax von Sydow for everyone. And Pernilla August in one of her interesting role.

The winner of the Palme d'Or in 1992, The Best Intentions gave Danish director Bille August his second win of the highest award of the most prestigious film festival in the world, for a film Ingmar Bergman had written. Bergman himself never won the award and didn't direct The Best Intentions, even though he was still directing two decades after his fictional retirement with Fanny and Alexander (1982). If most people in English-speaking countries have never heard of The Best Intentions, there may be a reason- the vast majority would find a three-hour, subtitled unhappy marriage drama unappealing and boring. To some, however, there is a lot to recommend here.

The film touches on issues of faith, the role of church in a changing society, a deteriorating marriage- many topics of which appear throughout Bergman's filmography. A priest struggles on the outskirts of the world in a small community, believing he might do some good, but his wife is deeply unhappy. There are some conflicts with locals who do not like him, including for renting out the church for socialist meetings. Henrik himself is no saint, not particularly deep, sometimes violent against his wife- aspects we see of him as the fictionalized Edvard in Fanny and Alexander. But here we see him suffer a lot more, and it inspires sympathy. Edvard also suffers and I felt sympathy for him too, but Fanny and Alexander is not his film. In a way, The Best Intentions feels like both Ingmar's criticism and reconciliation with his deeply flawed parents.

The Petrus subplot also inspires sympathy and shock- the running to the stream scene is by far the most intense part of the film. It's definitely worth a mention, even if it makes a small part of the running time.

In 1909, poor, idealistic theology student Henrik Bergman falls in love with Anna Åkerbloom, the intelligent, educated daughter of a rich family in Uppsala. After their wedding Henrik becomes a priest in the north of Sweden. After a few years Anna can't stand living in the rural county with the uncouth people. She returns to Uppsala, Henrik stays in the north.

After a long and successful career, Bergman wrote this script: essentially the story of his parents, who were second cousins, who fell in love despite some obstacles. And he did not just write it as a throwaway, he passionately threw himself into it and it became a three-hour epic.

I do love that directing duties fell to Bille August. I would think with a story so personal, Bergman himself would want to have complete control. But no, he distanced himself. And that was a brave, bold move. His family's story as told by a third party.

In this film, we meet Henrik Bergman, a good but flawed man who seeks to serve God. We are also introduced to Anna, his future wife and mother of Ingmar Bergman. Henrik makes do with very little, but will not sacrifice his pride in order to enjoy a better life. He is a man of deep convictions. Anna, on the other hand, is accustomed to the finer things life has to offer, and will not be denied her desires.

Henrik and Anna have to clear many hurdles, some of their own making, before they marry and move to a forbidding town in northern Sweden where they gracefully undertake their duties as the new religious leaders. It is specially in this part of the movie that we are shown the human frailties of those who represent the church and guide the flock. The best intentions (although the title does not necessarily refer to this) do not saints make. One has to strive to become a better person on a daily basis, and realize one's shortcomings. The characters in this movie do, and it makes one able to better relate to them.

Like the locomotives one sees so often steaming through the glorious landscapes of this story, this movie starts chugging slowly at first - although never boring -- and barrels full steam ahead during the second half. The entire movie is 181 minutes. I recommend it highly, giving it 9/10.