Synopsis
“God, why did you desert me?” With Winter Light, master craftsman Ingmar Bergman explores the search for redemption in a meaningless existence. In this stark depiction of spiritual crisis, small-town pastor Tomas Ericsson (Gunnar Björnstrand) performs his duties mechanically before a dwindling congregation. When he is asked to assist with a troubled parishioner’s (Max von Sydow) debilitating fear of nuclear annihilation, Tomas is terrified to find that he can provide nothing but his own uncertainty. Beautifully photographed by Sven Nykvist, Winter Light is an unsettling look at the human craving for personal validation in a world seemingly abandoned by God.
Cast
| Tomas Ericsson | Gunnar Bjornstrand |
| Märta Lundberg | Ingrid Thulin |
| Karin Persson | Gunnel Lindblom |
| Jonas Persson | Max von Sydow |
| Algot Frövik | Allan Edwall |
Credits
| Director | Ingmar Bergman |
| Written and directed by | Ingmar Bergman |
| Assistant director | Lenn Hjortzberg |
| Cinematography | Sven Nykvist |
| Assistant photographer | Rolf Holmqvist and Peter Wester |
| Production manager | Lars-Owe Carlberg |
| Editing | Ulla Ryghe |
| Sound | Stig Flodin and Brian Wikström |
| Sound effects | Evald Andersson |
| Sets | P.A. Lundgren |
| Costumes | Mago |
| Makeup | Börje Lundh |
Disc Features
- New high-definition digital transfer
- Exploring the film: Video discussion with Ingmar Bergman biographer Peter Cowie
- Essay by Peter Cowie
- Original theatrical trailer
- Optional English-dubbed soundtrack
- New and improved English subtitle translation
- Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition
From the Current
Winter Light
by Aug 18, 2003Like Quattrocento Italian painting, Ming porcelain, or the late quartets of Beethoven, Ingmar Bergman’s “chamber” films are an acquired taste. Winter Light represents the Swedish director’s most concentrated inquiry into the significance of religion, and of Lutheranism specifically . . .
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