Ingmar Bergman: Magician and Prophet [Paperback]

Marc Gervais (Author), Liv Ullmann (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1999

Ingmar Bergman has long been revered as a master craftsman of the cinema, a film poet who has created works that are intensely revealing of himself while resonating mysteriously and powerfully with his audience. In "Ingmar Bergman", Marc Gervais explores what has largely been taken for granted - how Bergman achieves this cinematic magic through his specific choices in the use of film language and the texturing and structuring of his images, sounds, and rhythms. Gervais shows also how Bergman's work resonates in a much broader sphere than the personal. His films, which are without equal in the history of cinema in quality, consistency, and relevance, are crucial moments in an ongoing conversation with western culture in its frenetic evolution since World War II. Gervais situates Bergman within the tensions of modernism and the western tradition that have manifested themselves in the twentieth century from existentialism, through deconstruction, and into postmodernism. Bergman's films are experienced as incarnations, meditations, explorations, and aesthetic objects that reflect, comment on, conflict with, or embrace the movements that produced them. Marc Gervais is professor of film and culture in the Department of Communication Studies at Concordia University. Long involved professionally in various aspects of the media, he is the author of the first book on Pier-Paolo Pasolini.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Gervais] offers many fresh insights into Bergman's work ... a real treat ... an outstanding piece of work!" Jerry H. Gill, professor emeritus of Philosophy and Religious Studies, The College of St Rose. "One acquires a clear and exhaustive grasp of Bergman's life-long film output - and is left stunned by this creative realisation, awesome in its quantity, variety, and relevance ... [Gervais] offers the reader moments of delight similar to actual watching of Bergman films." Janine Langan, William J. Bennett Professor of Christianity and Culture, St Michael's College at the University of Toronto.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 077352004X
• ISBN-13: 978-0773520042
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,624,060 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book on the films of Ingmar Bergman, March 21, 2006

By 

Kiwibeak.com "Abel" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ingmar Bergman: Magician and Prophet (Paperback)

I read this book in my final years of college, when i was studying international film and writing for film---i was also studying and writing on Bergman's body of work in-depth, including watching all of his films. I loved this book as it offered some great insight, and was very easy to digest. Gervais
explores his films chronologically, touching on 'certain moments' [scenes] to help illustrate the 'magic' and 'power' [as well as addressing major thematic questioning and evolution] of Bergman. If possible, 'view inside the book' and see if you can read the Intoduction to understand how the book is written. Brilliant, intelligent and informed writing. An A+ book on Bergman in my opinion.
-Abel Rosenberg
------------------------------
April 2006 Kiwibeak.com Review
A fantastic book that provides great insight into Bergman's films as a unified body of work. Easily conveyed and explained to the reader, the book is a definitive text study on Bergman.

13 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must" for all Ingmar Bergman fans!, March 4, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ingmar Bergman: Magician and Prophet (Paperback)

Ingmar Bergman is a legendary film producer whose work had a seminal influence on an entire generation of filmmakers and whose films are still viewed today in film classes and speciality theaters throughout Europe and the United States. In Ingmar Bergman: Magician And Prophet, film scholar Marc Gervais explores how Bergman achieve his cinematic magic through his specific choices in the use of film language and the texturing and structuring of images, sounds, and rhythms. Gervais also shows how Bergman's work continues to resonate with new generations of viewers. Ingmar Bergman: Magician And Prophet is a "must" for all Bergman fans and students of the history of cinema.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Very Insightful, December 31, 2002

By 

"dselenke" (Evanston, Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ingmar Bergman: Magician and Prophet (Paperback)

Although this book has received high praises on Amazon.com, I cannot share this enthusiasm. The main problem with this book is that it is too superficial, and too cursory. Bergman's films are loaded with meaning, symbol, and depth. This book unfortunately, is lacking in depth. The author reviews each film, and then picks out one scene or theme of each movie and discusses it. He grossly simplifies each Bergman film, and thus fails to explicate the richness of his films. The author's analysis of a key scene from The Seventh Seal is trivial and added nothing to my understanding of Bergman as a dirctor. My advice: skip this book and listen to the audio commentaries on Bergman's DVD's. They are much more illuminating.