The five hour Television cut of Fanny and Alexander is a wonderful look at various aspects of life - love, death, religion, sex and family - through the eyes of children. This slow-paced drama tells its story through vignettes and the fact that it is never boring is a testament to Ingmar Bergman's direction and the brilliant acting. The film is both realistic and surreal, at times heart wrenching and other times funny.

75

The scene where Alexander meets the mummy is absolutely horrifying; scariest scene I've seen in any film.

Television version of course.

The most endearing and poetic combination of cinema and literature in written history.

(TV version rating). I intend to see the short version soon.

I'm cheating here - I've only seen the first couple of episodes from the TV series so far. I certainly intend to watch the rest of it as soon as possible, but right now Uwe Boll would have to take charge of the thing on the following episodes for it to be anything short of fantastic. And from what I've heard, that's not going to happen.

For the TV version. In my opinion, this is the greatest movie of all time. A celebration of life, and the ability to wonder.

Bergman shows a deep humanity and understanding here with deeply drawn, finely nuanced, entertaining characters who feel so real - how can these possibly be actors? He is interested as much in the little things as the big and throughout the film tackles everything from youth to old age, celebrating to mourning, subservience to power, religion to atheism. An outstanding film that captures the imagination of youth to mysterious and captivating effect.

Amazing, five hours long and still you want more. This transcends cinema, and it's a shame all the other films I see will be inferior to this. I love it when amazing filmmakers make incredibly long films. There's so much material, and yet it's edited so that hours of brilliance go by quicker than mediocre minutes.

Bergman perfectly captures everyday occurences in everyday life and makes them extraordinary. Each scene is beautiful and thought out. Based on my ideology that there is no perfect film I am tempted to give this film a 99, however, this is as good as it gets!

This semi-autobiographical film is one of the best Bergman films, and a deserving of much attention.

I really want to, and intend to, see the TV version. The theatrical version is awesome, but, despite it being more than three hours long, it's too short. I think the TV version will definitely get an even higher score than this.

Magnificent. The stark contrasts in color, decor, and characterization play well off of the fuzzy, graying line between fantasy and reality. The real heart of the film surrounds the character of Alexander, as Bergman offers a sometimes terrifying view of the world through the eyes of a child. This is no more true than during the time the children live in the bishop's home, as the faithless pursuit of truth he pursues contrasts strongly with the wonderfully mysterious truth found in the theater.

This rating is for the 312 minute version. The running time is daunting, but it could go on forever and still be totally engrossing and food for a lifetime's thought. This is the cinema mastered.

Great film by a great filmmaker.

93.750

Watch the full mini-series.

(TV Version) It's like Bergman's own personal soliloquy. In fact, this was my first foray into his work, and it seems to be a good starting point and summary of Bergman's career. The story is both sympathetic and tragic, ranging from joyous to devastating, and the cast of characters populating it are nothing short of memorable. An emotional powerhouse of a film (or series... whatever).

I really don't have the words for this, saying it's fantastic in every way seems like an understatement. This really has to be watched and even at 300 minutes there doesn't seem to be an unnecessary scene to be found anywhere.

I loved the theatrical cut when I saw it, but boy, what a waste of 3 hours that ended up being, since I should have just saw this first. Seeing the miniseries version makes the other cut feel like it's been stripped down to the bone.

# 66

Fanny och Alexander

The only wrong thing about this piece of cinematic heaven is that it's not long enough. It should last forever.

So breathtaking...

(5 hour version) Audaciously combining a range of thought provoking themes and impeccable production design, Bergman and its talented cast have created a lush, exhilarating and highly compelling masterpiece that should satisfy many of you filmlovers. What's captured here on camera is nothing short of refreshing and transcendent and reminds us how beautiful this medium can be. A film not to be missed, thank you Bergman !!!

One of the (if not THE) greatest films I've ever seen. Even at over five hours long, it never gets boring or self-indulgent, always remaining exciting, beautiful, and powerful. I didn't think Bergman had it in him to create such an accessible, yet complex piece of art. Amazing...