Charlotte, played beautifully by Ingrid Bergman, is a renowned concert pianist who spent weeks and even months at a time practicing and touring while her daughters were raised by her father. Visiting her daughter Eva (Liv Ullmann) for the first time in seven years, Charlotte is chatty, vital and obviously vain. The visit starts of friendly enough, with Eva eager to make her mother comfortable and Charlotte apparently wanting to here all about Eva’s life. However, tensions soon begin to surface when Charlotte learns that her other daughter, Helena (Lena Nyman), stricken with a crippling disease is living with Eva and her husband Viktor (Halvar Bjork). Helena’s presence makes Charlotte visibly uncomfortable, which brings up feelings of childhood neglect for Eva.
It becomes clear over the course of the film that Charlotte was ambivalent about motherhood. She has a look of utter contempt as she looks on after having pressured Eva into playing what she’s been learning, Chopin’s second piano prelude. She pretends not to want to come in and rescue everyone from Eva’s intense but clumsy hands by playing it correctly, beautifully, and therefore humiliating her daughter. After not seeing each other for so many years, the ease with which Charlotte interrupts her daughter’s impromptu piano recital is a hint of a well established pattern.
When Charlotte is awakened by a horrific nightmare and Eva is experiencing insomnia the two meet for what soon becomes a confrontation. Eva sternly blames her mother for the fearful, damaged woman she’s become. Charlotte is shocked by her daughter’s hysteria, but initially won’t allow herself to come down from her egotistical heights. Cinematographer Sven Nykvist does a great job of framing Ullmann and Ingrid Bergman in a way that allows us to watch each woman experience a range of emotions in the most intimate way possible. It is especially fascinating to watch Bergman, as Charlotte is finally forced to let down a wall that has been in place for years, and admit she doesn’t know how to truly express love.
Ingmar Bergman’s writing is superb, but it’s the acting the truly stands out here. Ingrid Bergman is a revelation. Unable to rely on the beauty of her youth and forced to abandon the sweeping hand motions of her stage training, the actress takes us into her world largely through her facial expressions and body language. Liv Ullmann is equally effective in the role of Eva. A far more poignant part, she confronts her mother about their past in a brutal, unforgiving manner. Ullman matches Bergman line for line and is truly a great actress. Considering all of Liv Ullmann’s collaborations with Ingmar Bergman, Autumn Sonata is certainly one of the best.
Framed in 1.66:1, this new 2K Digital restoration looks as good as any standard DVD ever can. The many close-ups are clear and show a nice level of detail. The sets are beautiful, showing off strong colors including a dark red painted stairway hall. There are no scratches or anomalies to be found. Nice work from Criterion.
The mono audio track is a solid one. The soundtrack includes utilizes various piano pieces, which come across very nicely. Dialogue is clean and clear throughout. There are no anomalies present. An English-dubbed track is present.
English subtitles are included.
The following special features are available:
- Audio Commentary by Peter Cowie: This is the only extra carried over from the 1999 release, though back then it was dubbed an “audio essay.” Either way, it’s interesting and informative.
- Film Introduction by Ingmar Bergman (7:52) Taken from footage shot for Swedish Television in 2003 for what would become the documentary Bergman Island, the director recalls how the film came about, after an earlier promise to Ingrid Bergman that the two would work together.
- The Making of Autumn Sonata (3:26:33) The gem of the set, this feature-length documentary takes us behind-the-scenes for a look at the production from the initial meeting of cast and crew through table readings, line and blocking rehearsals, make-up and wardrobe tests, and fifty shooting days. Shot by still photographer Arne Carlsson, this documentary isn’t to be missed.
- Liv Ullmann Interview (18:54) Shot in 2013, Ullmann discusses many tense moments between Ingmar Bergman and his star Ingrid Bergman. Apparently, some of their disagreements nearly shut down production even before it began.
- Ingrid Bergman at the National Film Theater (39:24) In a 1981 interview with John Russell Taylor and question and answer session, the actress discusses everything from her early Swedish films through her Selznick-Hollywood years, the Rossellini period, and her international film and stage career.
- Theatrical Trailer (2:30)
- Booklet: A 20-page booklet with a new essay on the film by critic Farran Smith Nehme.
