The great director died in Sweden. Of all the "art" movies I've seen, his for me were the most indecipherable.

In the mid 1970s I was lucky enough to live in Sweden. I remember there being a cult television Bergman film shown in four (perhaps three - I could look it up but the memory is too painful) parts; weekly - daily - I can't remember. Probably weekly.
I watched most of it. "Ansikte mot Ansikte" was the title, and it was subsequently shortened and turned into a cinema film, then nominated for all sorts of awards. I believe it may even have won "Best Film" or "Best Director" or something at the Oscars or something - again I could look it up, but I just want to forget it. It was the most difficult thing I've ever sat through. Erland Josephson and Liv Ullman were in it, and it all seemed to be painful discussion in an empty room. I was young then of course, and it's my loss, I'm sure.

It may all have been pretentious rubbish but then we youngsters might have been suffering from 'Emperor's new clothes syndrome' Back in those days it was the done thing for students in Cambridge to sit through Bergman films.Another impenetrable 'must' was Last Year in Marienbad' The glass sided lift (elevator) which features in that is the lift in the Hotel du Cap, Antibes. This enables ancient pseuds like me to make a casual remark , thereby showing my deep memory of this 'great work', each time we take a drink there. I don't challenge anyone to a game of nym though: that would be going too far.

Cheeringly , today's young people opt for films like Citizen Kane, Double Indemnity, Casablanca( a different Bergman ) or The General when thinking to see great examples of filmcraft. The impenetrable does not seem to have its appeal any more.

May he rest in peace.