R.I.P. Ingmar Bergman

To tell you the truth, I thought Bergman was dead already. I haven't seen anything from him since FANNY & ALEXANDER.

I was fortunate to have a professor in college who was doing research for a book on Bergman back when I was taking his class (the result is Hubert Cohen's Ingmar Bergman: The Art of Confession). This was a great opportunity for a up-and-coming cinephile to be exposed to Bergman via SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT, THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY, THE SEVENTH SEAL, FANNY & ALEXANDER and the questionable film, THE TOUCH.

You couldn't believe my shock to see a young Max Von Sydow in these films when my only previous exposure to him came from FLASH GORDON and DREAMSCAPE. But the real star of the show was Gunnar Björnstrand. Cohen was always quick to point out how great and under appreciated Björnstrand had been. I still picture the poor guy with a candle on his head in FANNY & ALEXANDER.

But, uh, yeah. Bergman's dead and that's a shame.