FANNY AND ALEXANDER Review II
Pernilla Allwin, Bertil Guve in Fanny and Alexander
FANNY & ALEXANDER Review: Part I
It is only in the TV version that the depths and joys of the Ekdahls’ is plumbed fully. There are longer sequences at the opening Christmas Eve party; a deeper exploration of Carl Ekdahl and his put-upon German wife Lydia (Christina Schollin) — their marriage, his rages, and his own business failings and debts, which mirror the flaws of the Bishop; a deeper look at Emilie’s rationales, and her later hatred of the Bishop; more of life at the theater, especially a great sequence onstage with Bergman’s first film star, Gunnar Björnstrand, as actor Filip Landahl; and more of Alexander’s imagination, especially in two key scenes deleted from the shorter version.
Fanny & Alexander offers some interesting bits of symbolism as well, and were it not for the sheer depth and power of the larger tale being woven some of it might feel a bit too heavy-handed, e.g., the barren mausoleum-like household of the Bishop vs. the red and lush interior of the Ekdahl residence. It is clear that the families approach life differently, but in a film like this such sharp contrasts are not really necessary for the characters themselves convey such differences. Inanimata need not be employed to underline what Bergman’s dialogue and script so aptly do.
The five-disc DVD put out by The Criterion Collection is marvelous — one of the best jobs that company has done. There is a single disc with the theatrical version, which — hallelujah! — comes with an English-language soundtrack option. That disk also features an excellent film commentary by Bergman film scholar Peter Cowie. Cowie is often a hit-and-miss commentator, but this time he’s well on, maintaining an informed and leisurely pace for the film’s three-plus-hour running time. Although scripted, he conveys an ease and breadth of knowledge of the film and actors that rarely gets didactic. We get helpful anecdotes, interesting insights, and even some rationales for specific scenes or artistic choices, as well as bits of trivia that will delight film fanatics.
On the downside, Cowie does make some unsupported statements, such as claiming the chronological order of the three Ekdahl brothers, or telling us that Helena Ekdahl was half-Jewish. These are ‘facts’ supposedly gleaned from Bergman’s notes for the film, but appear nowhere within the film’s body. Also, in the scene where Oscar’s ghost first reappears, Cowie claims Fanny likely does not see him, only Alexander does. Yet, clearly, Fanny has seen the ghost, for she alerts Alexander to it, and her eyes are as transfixed in his direction as Alexander’s are. These flaws are minor quibbles, however, in an otherwise top-notch commentary.
The television version comes on two discs, each with two of the four episodes (although the series is in five ‘Acts’), but only with English subtitles. The second of the discs also offers a good forty-minute documentary called A Bergman Tapestry, featuring interviews with Fanny & Alexander producer Jörn Donner, production manager Katinka Farago, art director Anna Asp, assistant director Peter Schildt, and actors Bertil Guve (who now looks like a balder, thinner Guy Pearce), Ewa Fröling, Pernilla August, and Erland Josephson.
The final two discs have Bergman’s acclaimed, but rather tedious and uninsightful The Making of Fanny and Alexander. The documentary simply follows scenes showing the filming process, with no real discussion or commentary by Bergman or any of the participants. Especially in this DVD age, this "Making of" feels both self-indulgent and pointless.
On the same disc is a far more insightful hour-long 1984 Swedish television interview with Bergman called "Ingmar Bergman Bids Farewell to Film." There is also the near-requisite stills gallery, costume sketches, and video of Anna Asp’s models for the sets.
The final disc is a little treasure, featuring eleven several-minute-long insightful video snippets in which Bergman introduces many of his greatest films.
Fanny & Alexander, while a great film — especially in its longer version — is not all that its most ardent boosters claim. First, it’s not in any real way autobiographical, unlike Federico Fellini’s Amarcord or François Truffaut’s The 400 Blows. Bergman’s life was not Alexander Ekdahl’s, even though Alexander’s despair, budding atheism, and pessimism are obviously parts of Bergman.
Additionally, Fanny & Alexander is not, as many bad critics claim, an ‘epic.’ Length is not what defines an epic, but sweep. Despite the two versions running, respectively, just over three and five hours, Fanny & Alexander is a small and highly intimate drama set over a relatively brief time period. The film is not filled with grand, sweeping vistas; instead, it explores the inner terrain of the frail human psyche, especially that of a gifted child, coming to terms with religion, death, angst, hatred, and the life of the artist.
Despite its divergent themes, the inexplicable works — and works superbly — in Fanny & Alexander. Perhaps it is because most of the film is told from a child’s point of view, which always warps reality to its own psychological needs. Or maybe it all is just a child’s dream, for early on Alexander Ekdahl falls asleep. Does he ever really wake up?
Whatever interpretation one wants to apply to Fanny & Alexander, it is essential to Ingmar Bergman’s canon, as it captures an equally essential bit of humanity’s past — much like other superb works like Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story or Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. Fanny & Alexander, in fact, will remain relevant for as long as humanity exists. After all, despite its early 20th-century Swedish setting, we all know people like the Ekdahls and the Vergeruses.
That Fanny & Alexander lets us know a bit more about ourselves is merely icing on a delicious cake, one that remains tempting even as eaten, and that gets tastier with each viewing. Having seen it thrice — both versions and the theatrical version with comments — this claim is no mystery. Swallow it now.
© Dan Schneider
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of Mr. Schneider, and they may not reflect the views of the Alternative Film Guide.
Photos: The Criterion Collection
4 Academy Award Wins (1983)
Best Foreign Language Film (Sweden)
Best Cinematography: Sven Nykvist
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration: Anna Asp, Susanne Lingheim
Best Costume Design: Marik Vos-Lundh
2 Academy Award Nominations
Best Direction: Ingmar Bergman
Best Original Screenplay: Ingmar Bergman
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Tags: Classic Movies, DVDs, Fanny and Alexander, Film Reviews, Ingmar Bergman, The Criterion Collection, The Making of Fanny and Alexander
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