Special because it's semi-autobiographical and Bergman's last theatrical movie, 'Fanny and Alexander' has the feeling of a magnum opus and goodbye, though the great director would continue to work on television projects for a couple of decades more. The attention to detail is gorgeous in the opulent scenes of the affluent family, though to be honest I would have been more interested in the story of one of the servants than these boorish wealthy people, each of whom is crude in their own way. The film makes comments about class in subtle and direct ways, and we're always aware of the emotional gulf that separates the rich and their help, even though some have been with them for 40+ years. It also makes comments about the patriarchy and men, as the male characters have a wide display of less than admirable characteristics - cruel, philandering, drunken, and lacking dignity or simple humanism. As one takes advantage of a young maid whose only protest is to naively ask him to not put her "in the family way", he comes after a single thrust and then seems to believe himself when he says "lovely, wasn't it?" Bergman is merciless in deflating the male ego.
I liked the reflections on aging from the grandmother and matriarch (Gunn Wållgren) which were poignant, but my favorite part of the film was when young Fanny and Alexander must move into an austere household with their new stepfather. The environment is the polar opposite, and the emotional intensity is high when he proceeds to torture them mentally and physically, all in the name of a good, stern, proper upbringing. (And as an aside, how nice it was to see Harriet Andersson playing a maid in that household) The film also has a few moments of fantasy and the ghosts that inhabit Alexander's mind which are nice touches, and the scene he has with the locked away Ismael Retzinsky is fascinating. "Perhaps we are the same person. Maybe there are no boundaries. Maybe we all flow into each other, boundlessly and magnificently," Ismael says.
The overall message of the film, however, seems to be put in the hands of one of Alexander's uncles, who in a rambling soliloquy towards the end says "Therefore, let us be happy while we are happy. Let us be kind, affectionate and good. It is necessary, and not in the least shameful to take pleasure in the joys of the little world." There's wisdom there, but I found it a little less interesting than some of the elements that had come before it, and kind of wish Bergman had pared this film down even more than what he did to squeeze it into 188 minutes. Still a fine film though.
I liked the reflections on aging from the grandmother and matriarch (Gunn Wållgren) which were poignant, but my favorite part of the film was when young Fanny and Alexander must move into an austere household with their new stepfather. The environment is the polar opposite, and the emotional intensity is high when he proceeds to torture them mentally and physically, all in the name of a good, stern, proper upbringing. (And as an aside, how nice it was to see Harriet Andersson playing a maid in that household) The film also has a few moments of fantasy and the ghosts that inhabit Alexander's mind which are nice touches, and the scene he has with the locked away Ismael Retzinsky is fascinating. "Perhaps we are the same person. Maybe there are no boundaries. Maybe we all flow into each other, boundlessly and magnificently," Ismael says.
The overall message of the film, however, seems to be put in the hands of one of Alexander's uncles, who in a rambling soliloquy towards the end says "Therefore, let us be happy while we are happy. Let us be kind, affectionate and good. It is necessary, and not in the least shameful to take pleasure in the joys of the little world." There's wisdom there, but I found it a little less interesting than some of the elements that had come before it, and kind of wish Bergman had pared this film down even more than what he did to squeeze it into 188 minutes. Still a fine film though.