The main character, had the same questioning of fate that I constantly do, so I was hoping that by the end he would find an answer but he didn't which scared me; seeing as that leaves me without an answer as well!
On top of that, the "dance of death" at the end really put a depressing, gloomy mood on the whole plot line which I don't necessarily is a bad thing but it overpowers the good points of the plot; like the "strawberries and milk".
Overall, it was a good film but it left a question in my head and didn't really help me find an answer for my own, which is something I have a very sort of ambiguous opinion towards.
I appreciate your diaappointment that Bergman didn't tell you whether God exists. But, wouldn't you have been more disappointed (at least in him) had he done so? I'm so pleased that your expectations were so high. But, in the end, it is just us and the Question. But, if the film helped to better frame the Question in your mind, then it was a success.
ReplyDeleteAbout the film being gloomy, I think Bergman knows this, and takes every chance to lightend the mood. So, while Jof sees the characters heading to the dark lands, where the rain washes the tears from their cheeks, his wife, Mia, says, "you and your visions."
We didn't analyze that comment, the last of the film, but it has resonance. Perhaps it's self-referential. Bergman is talking about himself.