Fanny and Alexander

Set in Uppsala, Sweden, at the turn of the 20th century, the film chronicles the lives of the Ekdahl family, a large and boisterous clan of theater owners and actors. Through the perspective of young Alexander and his sister Fanny, the story begins with a magnificent, candlelit Christmas celebration, filled with abundance, music, and the joyful eccentricities of their relatives. This warmth represents the 'little world' of the Ekdahls, where art and imagination are celebrated as the primary colors of existence.

However, the family's happiness is shattered by the sudden death of the children's father, Oscar. Their mother, Emelie, seeking stability and spiritual guidance, decides to marry the local bishop, Edvard Vergérus. The children are subsequently moved from their vibrant, art-filled home to the Bishop's stark, cold, and prison-like residence. Here, Alexander's vivid imagination is treated as a sin, leading to a psychological and physical battle of wills between the young boy and his stern, authoritarian stepfather.

The core of the film is a profound exploration of the conflict between the joyous, secular world of art and the repressive, ascetic world of religious dogma. Bergman presents theater and storytelling not merely as entertainment, but as a vital mechanism for survival and making sense of a cruel reality. The film suggests that while the 'big world' of politics and religion may be harsh and unyielding, the 'little world' of family and imagination offers a sanctuary of human kindness and emotional truth.

One prominent interpretation is that the ghosts are not supernatural entities but psychological projections of Alexander's grief and fear. From this perspective, the Bishop's death is a coincidence that Alexander's mind interprets as the result of his own murderous wishes. Another reading focuses on the feminist undertones, suggesting the 'mother's world' of the Ekdahls is a proto-feminist space of emotional freedom, while the 'father's world' of the Bishop represents the suffocating patriarchy of the era.

Fanny and Alexander is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made and a crowning achievement of European cinema. It marked a departure for Bergman from his typically bleak existentialism toward a more ' Dickensian' and celebratory style. Its influence is seen in the works of directors like Woody Allen and Ari Aster, particularly in their explorations of family trauma and the blending of the supernatural with domestic drama. Critically, it restored Bergman's reputation in Sweden after a period of exile and remains a staple of holiday viewing in many European households due to its iconic Christmas sequences.

The film was met with near-universal acclaim upon release. Audiences were captivated by the lush production design and the deeply moving performances, particularly Bertil Guve's expressive portrayal of Alexander. While some critics initially found the three-hour cut slightly disjointed, the subsequent release of the five-hour TV version was hailed as a complete masterpiece. The primary point of discussion remains the terrifying performance of Jan Malmsjö as the Bishop, who created one of cinema's most memorable and hated antagonists.