Autumn Sonata (1978)
The Very Best
8.5
Chilling and cathartic, this film is a love-hate letter from neglected children to their resentful parents
Movie
Germany, Sweden
English, Swedish
Drama
1978
INGMAR BERGMAN
Erland Josephson, Gunnar Björnstrand, Halvar Björk
93 min
TLDR
Has anyone seen the entirety of this film with their parent and lived to tell the tale? Please comment below if you’re a survivor.
What it's about
Charlotte (Ingrid Bergman) is a celebrated pianist, but when she reunites with her daughter Eva (Liv Ullmann), she’s reminded of the decisions she made to prioritize her career over her children.
The take
A film like Autumn Sonata shouldn’t work; on paper, it’s simply a confrontation between a resentful daughter and her vain mother. But in the masterful hands of Ingmar Bergman, their knotty relationship unfolds in thrilling, cathartic, and painfully relatable ways. Every accusation feels like a lashing. Every breakdown rips your heart. As a viewer, you sympathize with whoever is onscreen--that’s how real each character seems. You root for the neglected daughter, but also for the pianist who followed her heart and chose career over children. As with most Bergman films, Autumn Sonata feels like an evisceration of one’s soul, but it will feel extra relatable to those of us who’ve harbored secret resentments over our parents or children.
What stands out
The ferocious, unforgiving back and forth between daughter and mother. It’s both a dream and a nightmare for something like this to come true.
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