Autumn Sonata (1978) - The Criterion Collection

Synopsis

A stunning union of two of Sweden’s national treasures, Autumn Sonata pairs Ingmar Bergman with Ingrid Bergman for their only joint effort. Ingrid plays a mother who, after forsaking her family for a music career, attempts a reconciliation with her oldest daughter (Liv Ullmann) through a night of painful revelation. Sven Nykvist contributes glorious Eastmancolor cinematography to this quietly beautiful story of forgiveness.

Cast

Charlotte	Ingrid Bergman
Eva	Liv Ullmann
Helena	Lena Nyman
Viktor	Halvar Björk
Uncle Otto	Arne Bang-Hansen
Paul	Gunnar Bjornstrand
Joseph	Erland Josephson

Credits

Director	Ingmar Bergman
Screenplay	Ingmar Bergman
Cinematography	Sven Nykvist
Set designer	Anna Asp
Costume design	Inger Pehrsson
Sound	Owe Svensson
Editing	Sylvia Ingmarsdotter
Music performed by	Käbi Laretei, Claude Genetay, Frans Brüggen, Gustav Leonhardt and Anner Bylsma

Disc Features

Audio essay by noted film historian Peter Cowie
Original theatrical trailer
Swedish and optional English-dubbed soundtracks

From the Current

Liv Remembers Ingmar

Oct 9, 2009

More than two years after Ingmar Bergman’s death, his muse Liv Ullmann is still bursting with stories about the Swedish director. In a poignant and insightful profile by Diane Solway in this month’s issue of W...

Ingmar Bergman’s Belongings Sold at Auction

Sep 29, 2009

In Stockholm, target...

Salute to Liv Ullmann

by Peter Cowie Dec 15, 2008

Flash back to September 1968. The Swedish Film Week in Sorrento, Italy, with its alfresco suppers and its excursions to Capri and Pompeii. Ingmar Bergman was expected, and he and Liv Ullmann were assigned a luxurious villa for the duration. But Ingmar pleaded an ear infection, and Liv was left...

Autumn Sonata

by Peter Cowie Dec 31, 1999

As a tour de force of screen acting, Autumn Sonata stands unchallenged as the finest work of Ingmar Bergman’s last few years as a movie director. Fanny and Alexander may have won the Oscars, but Autumn Sonata represents Bergman’s chamber cinema at...