Unappreciated: Liv Ullmann

Liv Ullmann

 

Part of the thrill of this "Unappreciated" series is the fact that some of these won't be unappreciated at all - but when you tell someone, "I'm a Liv Ullmann" fan - they either smile at you like they have no clue what you're talking about OR they respond with something about Tracey Ullmann.

 

 

 

Liv Ullmann is a Norwegian actress who first came to fame as the star of Ingmar Bergman's films. Her first appearance was in Persona and their relationship lasted until the end of the director's life. As the lead in some of his most powerful works - there is no greater female performer who can deliver such raw emotion with a glance, a flinch of muscle or a single tear. Liv Ullmann in one word - is sublime.

 

Nominated for the Golden Globe five times - winning once. She went on to be nominated for the Palm d'Or at Cannes as well as two Academy Awards and a BAFTA. If you have never seen a film with Liv Ullmann - you've missed one of the most emotionally draining experiences any adult can experience. Treat yourself, you'll be amazed at what this woman can do.

 

 

5) "SARABAND" (2003): This movie just rips my heart out from the opening shot of an aging Marianne surrounded by photographs. The image alone speaks volumes...then the monologue begins and once again I am back on familiar turf with trusted friends. This movie is a nice farewell. The final time Ingmar Bergman sat behind the camera - with his favorite old friends, completing a story he'd begun many years earlier ... this is the perfect cinematic closure to one of the greatest of all auteurs. The bonus content on the DVD is worth the cost of the purchase alone. Bergman and Ullmann rehearsing scenes and laughing is so poignant and touching - it's almost better than the film. An imperative movie to view after you've seen ... the precursors (Scenes from a Marriage, From The Life of the Marionettes), of course.
 

 

4) "SHAME" Skammen (1968): This is such a beautiful Bergman film, I don't know why it isn't reviewed more often. Set on Faro, this film stars Liv and Max von Sydow as a married couple living an idyllic life on a little farm. War begins, all hell breaks loose and the tension increases until you realize the movie is over. This is a very fast-moving Bergman film to me. Some of the elements/shots in Shame rival some of his best work and framing every shot around Liv's timeless face - it's just a fantastic story. The closing shot of the couple in the boat is one of the most beautiful images from all movie history. While not the greatest film of Bergman's career - and not Ullmann's best, this is still a powerful thunderpunch of good. If you have any remote interest in Swedish cinema - you'll enjoy this movie.
 

 

3) "HOUR OF THE WOLF" Vargtimmen (1968): So good it's hard to even talk about ... Hour of the Wolf is one of my favorite films of all time. It's so sublimely creepy, slathered in Bergman's trademark bleak imagery and that crisp focus on Ullmann's weary features...it's the perfect movie. Once again we have the familiar crew playing roles of isolation. This is actually labeled as a "surrealist-psycho-drama" and I suppose that's about the best way to put it. It's horror but not really horrifying. The weirdness is cranked up a notch for a Bergman film - this feels like his attempt to really give you the shivers. It doesn't work as a scary film - but the atmosphere is so potent you feel damp from the mist. The house...is dreamy. I want to live here so desperately, I wish it was still standing. I've seen this film more than I should confess and it retains its magic and intrigue with every viewing. This is number three because it's so unique and special in the Bergman/Ullmann canon that it deserves to rank up among the big boys.
 

 

2) "CRIES AND WHISPERS" Viskiningar och rop (1972): Red red reddy red. Bergman wanted to make a movie in color - just to showcase red. White dresses, red everywhere. Cries and Whispers is one of the best movies ever made. A home run for Bergman - this symbolic tragedy follows the relationship of three sisters as one of them prepares to die. It's so heart-wrenching, it will make you cringe, cry and shudder. This was one of the first Bergman movies that I legitimately fell in love with; and I think pretty much anyone who has the emotional fortitude to sit through it - will fall in love as well. Liv Ullmann's face is just so beautiful. Everything she does in this film, her character, her poise, grace and cruelty - is all so perfectly performed, this is one of the best roles of her life. This is one of the best roles of all time. This is what a filmed painting would look like. Movie art.
 

 

1) "SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE" Scener ur ett aktenskap (1973): Don't even play. If you're embarking on this odyssey, you're gonna sit through the TV version at 5.5 hours and not that theatrical nonsense. I've seen both repeatedly - and the longer version wins - hands down. I can't really justify why I enjoy this all-day walk in the mud, but I really do. Each episode focuses on a segment of a couple's life together - as their marriage slowly falls apart. Slowly, y'all. What makes this such a win for me - is the camera work and the writing. Bergman really knows how to write and this film is one of the best examples of a master at work. His muse, Ullmann - is on top of her game in the lead role. Erland Josephson (a Bergman regular) as her husband is positively riveting. If watching two people have lengthy conversations where most of the real acting is done in the soft muscles around the mouth and eyes is your cup of tea...check this out. If you want to go full geek - view this in a marathon sitting along with From The Life of the Marionettes and Saraband to complete the saga.