Through a Glass Darkly
Dir: Ingmar Bergman
1961
*****
I wonder if Ingmar Bergman purposefully kept the first third of Through A Glass Darkly dull and lifeless only to enhance the visuals and then performances of the second and third acts respectively. If he did then it certainly worked, I was pulled back in with a jolt just as I was beginning to loose interest but then I suppose it isn't until the second act that you release each act mirrors the other, which is very clever and must have been a headache to direct. The performances are brilliant, particularly from Harriet Andersson, the writing is exquisite and after reading up on the chamber dramas as they've come to be known, I can't wait to see more. I would suggest this is only a suggestion of the greatness to come though, I liked it a lot but I don't love it. I seem to be in the minority in thinking that the b/w cinematography was below par considering how masterfully The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries were shot but I digress, this is cinematic brilliance.

The Serpent's Egg
Dir: Ingmar Bergman
1977
*****
1977's The Serpent's Egg is regarded by some as being one of Bergman's weaker films, personally, I couldn't disagree more. The Serpent's Egg is more than the sum of its parts and will stay with you long after the end credits. It looks good and has a fantastic cast, the script is sound and story more so, so on and so forth. The darkly magic intensity, the undercurrent of looming horror and pending doom is quite extraordinary. David Carradine is perfect as our protagonist, it's odd to think that the role was initially offered to Dustin Hoffman. It's hard to put my finger on what the ghost in this film is but I can only explain it by suggesting that if Hitchcockian is in the dictionary then why isn't Bergmanian? Make your own mind up about this one but just make sure you see it.

Shame (Skammen)
Dir: Ingmar Bergman
1968
****
It's funny, Bergman himself was unhappy with the end result with Shame and said that due to the uneven script, the first half of the film suffers. I actually felt it was the other way around. What started as a film of intrigue and suspense, the second half, as good as it was, became a little muddled with far too much happening at once. I think less would have been more, the idea of the shame people can feel due to their helplessness, the fact they are often taken advantage of and some times the actions they have to take at times of war and hardship could have been just left to the two main instances (not saying what so as not to spoil it for anyone). I thought the scenes with Col. Jacobi were unclear and overlong and the film started to drag. It may not sound like it, but I did really enjoy this film, I just can't help but think it could have been better, especially as many state it as being his finest film.