The Frame

Karin is having some issues. She’s just out of a mental hospital and seems to be doing better on vacation with her husband, father and brother. Her husband is still concerned about her, though, a concern which turns out to be warranted when she starts having terrifying visions, famously one of God as a spider. We don’t see any of these visions, however, and experience them solely through actress Harriet Andersson’s flawless performance. Ingmar Bergman is a difficult filmmaker, exploring philosophic questions through his impassive camera–it’s difficult to know precisely what he’s going for, and yet, I was mesmerized by the film and intrigued to watch Winter Light and The Silence, usually grouped with Through a Glass Darkly as an unofficial trilogy. Like I said, Bergman is not a terribly accessible filmmaker, but he’s worth it. Don’t let my inability to explain why he’s worth it stop you from thinking it’s true.
Well Above Average