The Current
A magazine of film culture past and present, with new articles, interviews, and videos published every day
Recent Articles
Heiress at the Revolution
In the aftermath of the political turmoil that swept through France in 1968, Sylvina Boissonnas used her wealth to sponsor some of the most radical films of the era, including works by Philippe Garrel and Jackie Raynal.
Some Like It Hot: How to Have Fun
Billy Wilder proves himself one of cinema’s greatest pleasure seekers in this irresistible confection, a landmark of Hollywood comedy.
Margarethe von Trotta Found Her Cinema Gateway in The Seventh Seal
The great German director reflects on her first experience with Ingmar Bergman’s classic meditation on mortality, a film that opened her eyes to the possibilities of cinema.
Liv Ullmann and Bibi Andersson, Sisters in the Art
The powerhouse actors at the center of Persona became two of Ingmar Bergman’s most essential collaborators, bringing a remarkable emotional range to their performances.
Eva Dahlbeck, a “Battleship of Femininity”
This diva of the screen brought a touch of elegance and no-nonsense wit to her roles in Waiting Women, Smiles of a Summer Night, and other Bergman gems.
Fanny and Alexander: The Other Side
This sensuous, sprawling epic, which Ingmar Bergman intended to be his swan song, offers an effortless summing up of the themes—among them family, identity, and mortality—he'd spent a career exploring.
The Looming Gravitas of Max von Sydow
Ingmar Bergman scholar Peter Cowie explores how the great actor’s authoritative screen presence allowed him to embody the director’s fears and ideals.
The Eerie Intensity of Ingrid Thulin
A performer of great psychological force and control, Ingrid Thulin embodied some of Ingmar Bergman’s darkest obsessions with her intimidating screen presence.
The Magic Flute and After the Rehearsal: Stages of Life
In two made-for-television productions, a middle-aged Ingmar Bergman blurred the boundaries between screen and stage.
New, Independent Criterion Channel to Launch Spring 2019
If you loved the adventurous curated programming we’ve been doing with our friends at FilmStruck, we have good news for you.
A Touch of Paradise in Miami
Filled with passion and intrigue, one of the great epic romances of French cinema plays this Sunday at the Miami Beach Cinematheque.
A Story from Chikamatsu: From a Distance
Turning to theater for inspiration, Kenji Mizoguchi transformed a popular eighteenth-century play into a spiritually charged meditation on forbidden love and societal oppression.
Video
Spotlight
Ingmar Bergman’s Cinema
A selection of essays commissioned for our new box set, in commemoration of the Swedish master’s hundredth birthday.
