1958 - THE MAGICIAN - another interesting Bergman film.

It's science versus spiritualism, man vs woman, and Ingmar Bergman vs his previous films with a couple of pot shots at the existence of god that are frequently found in a Bergman film.

A near mute Max Von Sydow is the leader of a performance troupe touring Sweden in what appears to be the mid 1800's.  The troupe ends up a village where they are detained and questioned by the authorities particularity a doctor named Vergerus played by another Bergman regular Gunnar Björnstrand.

 

This films entertains because Bergman is such a good filmmaker.  He makes the encounters between the performers and the authorities interesting and at times thought provoking.  Bergman is also good at throwing in a little romance and sex courtesy of yet another one of his regular performers, Bibi Andersson who is always a very welcome addition in a Bergman film.

 

I don't think I would count The Magician as one of Bergman's greatest films like Wild Strawberries, Smiles of a Summer Night or The Seventh Seal, but it is a very good film. 

Written by Ingmar Bergman, the running time is 107 minutes.