The attraction of this film confuses me I tried hard to divorce myself from the temptation to evaluate a film positively, even though I didn't care much for the characters. I was interested in; the title because Fanny is almost a non-entity. Though she shares her brother's hardships, she doesn't have much of a significant role. I also found Emilie, the mother, not very admirable. Alexander is spoiled and cynical, and then all those pompous, amoral relatives. Then it dawned on me. Bergman is just showing us a slice of life. We don't need to admire them, but rather be entertained by their woven tapestry. It is a big, powerful, haunting film, with some of the most wonderful cinematography I've seen, Nyquist at his best. The story delves into the supernatural and leaves many questions unanswered. The decadence continues and the family remains, but so do the ghosts. After viewing the trilogy: the Bergman angst-athon, this was refreshing, though many of the same themes are there. They are just presented in a different way.
Review of Fanny and Alexander
