Through a Glass Darkly Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Through a Glass Darkly Blu-ray Movie Review

A beautiful, complex, and mesmerizing classic from Ingmar Bergman (The Seventh Seal)

An astonishingly beautiful exploration of mental illness and faith from a master filmmaker, Through a Glass Darkly is a masterpiece from the great Ingmar Bergman (The Virgin Spring, The Seventh Seal). Produced by Allan Ekelund (Smiles of a Summer Night, To Joy), Through a Glass Darkly is an impressive example of classic Swedish cinema. Filmed on the island of Fårö, the visually rich production is a testament to the power of a singular voice in film.

Karin (Harriet Andersson), a gorgeous young woman with schizophrenia who was recently released from an asylum, comes home to her family. The group decides to take a relaxing vacation together. A island excursion is a moment of reprieve from their respective woes. Karin spends time goofing off with her younger brother, Minus (Lars Passgård) along the island's shorelines. A play is put on for everyone's amusement.

Despite some fun and fancy-free frivolities, there is a sense of trouble which looms beneath the surface: Karin's father, David (Gunnar Björnstrand), is a writer stumbling through a bout of writers block while her husband, Martin (Max von Sydow) confides in David that she won't ever recover from her mental illness. As the weekend unfolds, Karin begins to hear a voice: the voice of god. A spiritual odyssey unfolds.

The Human Condition: Through a Glass Darkly

Edited by Ulla Ryghe (Persona, Shame), Through a Glass Darkly is an example of a Bergman film that never hits a wrote note. Each sequence feels carefully constructed with no unnecessary shots or scenes. With lush cinematography by Sven Nykvist (Fanny and Alexander, Persona) giving audiences a haunting and surrealist experience, the silky smooth photography proves to be of impeccable taste. With the melancholic music score by Erik Nordgren (Wild Strawberries, Summer with Monika) accompanying selections of classic composer Johann Sebastian Bach, there is a true beauty in the music backbone at the heart of the film. The film finds the perfect balance between exploring quiet moments and piercingly subtle scenes of harmonic tranquility.

The production is mounted with a number of impressive elements that give the filmmaking the added weight and gravitas necessary to leave audiences stunned. The production design by P.A. Lundgren (The Seventh Seal, Summer with Monika) is sparse yet undeniably electrifying in its beauty. This is a wonderful looking film on every level. Sets are designed with the upmost attention to detail. With the tone established by the production, costume designer Mago (Sawdust and Tinsel, Phantom Carriage) gives the characters their own distinct realities to help us to question our own.

Ingmar Bergman wrote and directed Through a Glass Darkly with the kind of ferocity that only a true auteur filmmaker would be able to orchestrate. Each element of the production is like a key note in Bergman's personal army comprised of artists: technicians, actors, and crew working tirelessly to transform the ideas and experimental provocations of Bergman into cinema literacy. The film is breathtakingly beautiful in its use of ideas and the visually haunting imagery strikes a note that is unshakable. Few directors are capable of crafting such magic: Bergman, once more, proves to be a formidable artist. Through a Glass Darkly is a can't-miss masterpiece.

Through a Glass Darkly Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Criterion Collection presents Ingmar Bergman's masterpiece Through a Glass Darkly with a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original 1.37:1 full frame aspect ratio. The feature has received a 2K digital restoration for the Blu-ray release. The scan is an example of near perfection on every level. The presentation deserves the highest grade possible for its extraordinary detail and overall clarity. The image is consistently crisp and beautiful. The gorgeous black-and-white cinematography makes the world of the film even easier to be absorbed by. Outstanding.

Through a Glass Darkly Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented with an uncompressed PCM 24 bit mono audio track. Through a Glass Darkly is presented in the original Swedish language with English subtitles. The audio on Criterion's Blu-ray release of the film is terrific. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. Thousands of instances of pops, clicks, hiss, and other detrimental elements were removed for the restoration. Criterion has once again done a stellar job of preserving the film with an audio track that far exceeds one's expectations.

For the curious, an optional alternate English dubbed option is also provided (but is certainly not recommended).

Through a Glass Darkly Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Ingmar Bergman Introduction (SD, 1:53) features Bergman and Swedish journalist Marie Nyreröd discussing the film. With a special look at the original location used for the production of Through a Glass Darkly, Marie Nyreröd helps introduce the setting. An archival clip is also used during the introduction.

Exploring the Film (SD, 11:12) is an exceptional and in-depth interview featuring expert Bergman biographer Peter Cowie as he explores the complex context of Through a Glass Darkly - from its origins, actors, and to its idiosyncratic themes (as the first in the Bergman trilogy). Delving into personal facts about Ingmar Bergman, Cowie explains how growing up the son of a pastor impacted Bergman as a filmmaker. A fascinating interview with insights that any fan will cherish.

Harriet Anderson (HD, 8:37) discusses the filmmaker and her collaborations with him as an actress in an interview conducted by Bergman biographer Foster Hirsch while attending the Midnight Sun Film Festival held in Finland circa 2012. Full of insight and passion, Anderson is an engaging speaker that fans will want to listen to.

Sven Nykvist (HD, 14:57) discusses his longtime collaboration with Ingmar Bergman. As the go-to cinematographer on Bergman's films, Nykvist shares meaningful thoughts on their work together at crafting cinema. The interview (from a seminar given at the American Film Institute in 1981) is accompanied by beautiful still photographs and clips from their collaborations together.

Gunnar Bjornstrand (Audio Only, 14:31) was interviewed by film critic Gideon Bachmann at the Berlin Film Festival circa 1962. The actor delves into what it was like to work on a project with the brilliant Ingmar Bergman. (This audio-only interview is presented against a still photo background.)

Through a Glass Darkly U.S. Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2:17)

Through a Glass Darkly Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There is transcendent beauty in Through a Glass Darkly. Few directors are as in control of the medium as the great Ingmar Bergman. Every frame serves a purpose. There are no wasted scenes. Eloquent, sophisticated, and complex, Through a Glass Darkly is a evocative masterpiece that is essential viewing. Bergman constantly raised the bar and this effort is no exception to the rule. Outstanding.

The Blu-ray release features a remarkable 2K scan and a selection of impressive supplemental features. Any Bergman fan owes it to themselves to have this wonderful film in their collection (whether in this trilogy set or the even more expansive Ingmar Bergman's Cinema collection). A bravado effort from Criterion. Highly recommended.