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Through a Glass Darkly

Through a Glass Darkly

1961
Drama
1h 30m
On an island, Karin, a recently released mentally sick young woman, is spending her vacation with her husband Martin... (imdb)
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Through a Glass Darkly

1961
Drama
1h 30m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 74.7% from 1502 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(1502)
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Rated 23 Nov 2009
100
98th
Bergman at his darkest. Meditating upon his most salient subject of God's silence, he concludes that the only ones who hear an echo in the dark are the mentally ill. Brilliant.
Rated 15 Mar 2008
4
70th
I don't think I've ever seen another film, with the exception of Bergman's own Seventh Seal, that was able to so deftly handle complex religious themes in a clear but inobtrusive manner. There are a thousand questions raised but no conclusions drawn, leaving the viewer to fill in the blanks, and it's done with incredible skill and subtlety. The photography is absolutely gorgeous, the performances great, the script intelligent and thematically rich, and the direction perfect. Excellent.
Rated 18 Sep 2013
8
97th
a sad and lonely drama about four people on an island. one is schizophrenic. such a tiny film, and yet every character breathes personality and complexion. but as bergman must, it's also a fruitless search for meaning. the truly compassionate final scene concludes with the notion that love and god are one and the same. this is transparently not to be taken as truth, but rather as a desperate and touching attempt at hope, and in finding some reason to live.
Rated 24 Feb 2007
90
85th
Great scenery, great performances. Bergman himself considered Winter Light to be a sort of "rejection" of Through a Glass Darkly, and I can see what he means by that, especially concerning Björnstrand's character's speech at the end. It's obvious that Bergman still hadn't sorted out some of the issues he was dealing with here. But that doesn't mean Through a Glass Darkly doesn't contain any truth or wisdom, because it most certainly does.
Rated 26 Mar 2007
90
86th
Another Bergman reflection on the meaninglessness of life. Every shot is one you'd like to hang on your wall
Rated 14 Aug 2007
78
89th
Bergman, Images, pp. 248-9: "THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY was a desperate attempt to present a simple philosophy: God is love and love is God. [...] So here we started with a falsehood, largely unconscious, but a falsehood nevertheless. [...] But falsehood is one thing, the weaving of illusions another. The illusion maker is conscious of what he is doing, as is Albert Emanuel Vogler in THE FACE. Therefore THE FACE is an honest film, whereas THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY is a conjurer's trick."
Rated 27 Jun 2008
93
94th
Through A Glass Darkly is an extremely beautiful film, both to look at, and to admire in terms of story, and meaning. It is certainly hard to appreciate, it is very slow moving, and nothing really ever becomes abundantly clear, but after a short while, when you analyze this film, you realise the work of extreme beauty that was Through A Glass Darkly. After watching Winter Light, and this, Bjorstrand has become one of my favorite actors, and the ending sequence is mesmerizing. Bergman's the man!
Rated 06 Feb 2010
10
98th
Bergman's mastery of creating a dark, sombre, and even lonely landscape within the confines of such complex themes such as love, hope and religion is second to none. With great subtlety and softly acted characters Bergman explores these themes. In the process he asks many questions of us, whether we notice or not, but the answers are never concrete nor defined. It is ironic that the dark, and often brooding build up to the protagonists collapse that we go away with a slight feeling of hope.
Rated 10 May 2012
60
29th
Disappointing. In his attempt to tackle complex and difficult issues, Bergman has crafted a high-minded and ambitious but distractingly opaque film that sacrifices strong storytelling in favour of oblique and hardly enlightening philosophical inquiries. Still, the questions raised as well as the performances are fascinating, but without a strong narrative arc (or at least a strong excuse for the lack of it) the film somewhat drags. The cinematography is gorgeous though.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
98
99th
So emotionally draining and devastating. Nykvist's photography is simply unbelieveable. The whole cast is great, but Harriet Andersson's performance is obviously the high point.
Rated 27 Dec 2007
75
84th
A disturbed, unabashed mix of spiritualism and inconsequential weirdness. I don't entirely know what to make of this film, but it's very enticing, complicated and intensive. It may be viewed as confused - Its followup, Winter Light, is certainly clearer (and better) - but Bergman in his confusion is still quite interesting. Harriet Andersson is really, really good.
Rated 31 Jul 2009
4
74th
A platitude about love being the manifestation of God, plainly recognized by the auteur and characters alike as trite and probably untrue, but all the same a notion they welcome as reprieve from their helplessness.
Rated 06 Jan 2010
85
89th
Almost an untypical Bergman since religion/god are described as a source of hope. The movie starts like a pretty relaxed family story somewhere at the baltic sea but it gets it typical Bergman build-up and soon becomes what anyone expects: a great movie. 06/01/10
Rated 13 Nov 2012
95
99th
First in Bergman's Trilogy of Faith. One of his very best movies.
Rated 01 Apr 2014
66
64th
If you accept spiritual desolation as a given, the primal screams of these character will resonate more. But if we look at it as drama, it's just one confession scene after another, an underdeveloped incest strand, revelations about the state of God that literally come out of thin air.
Rated 06 Nov 2016
93
96th
'I wonder, is everyone is stuck in a cage, unable to get out', said Munis, who along with three others suffered a crisis collapsing that limiting, isolating, but ultimately protective cage ensuring, however superficial, the opposite of loneliness and despair, as if a glue necessary to prevent Karin's permanent state of being torn apart by two worlds. The supposed, offered solution to this, a commensurability between love and god, feels kinda cheap.
Rated 18 Nov 2007
100
96th
Through a Glass Darkly has to be one of Bergman's best. Somewhere in the top 5 if you ask me. It had never occurred to me until re-watching this right now how vitally important the last line is to the entire film. I feel foolish for not noticing this before. Also, every time I see a largish spider I think of this movie.
Rated 15 Feb 2009
8
78th
The actors are amazingly convincing, although I'm not so sure about the film's message. Raising a lot of questions that may cloud the viewer's mind, I'd like to think it's about life and hope, since the film is filled with it. Bergman's predecessor to 'Winter Light' is thematically rich, I just wish he handled it differently. It's still a great film that I'll probably revisit.
Rated 18 Feb 2009
88
78th
Didn't click with me as much as other Bergmans I've seen. The acting, cinematography, et al was all handled well, but something just felt a bit off. Still, fantastic movie, I've yet to see a bad Bergman film.
Rated 08 Jun 2009
100
89th
One of Bergman's more accessible -by that i don't mean lighter- films, Through a Glass Darkly is a three act chamber drama focusing on inner wounds of individuals of a family, and their reflections on each other. First film of Bergman's faith trilogy(the other two being Winter Light and Silence) Through a Glass Darkly successfully captures human nature, moral conflicts inside men, and the nature of men's relationship with god.
Rated 27 Jul 2010
87
86th
Emotionally exhausting, mainly due to Harriet Andersson's terrifying performance. This is most likely the most depressing film I've ever seen, so approach with caution.
Rated 12 Dec 2010
92
96th
Great, thought-provoking drama from Bergman. The acting is excellent and the cinematography beautiful. The complex themes and subtle ambiguity provokes plenty of thought and discussion afterwords, even if it doesn't entirely agree with Winter Light. Makes me look forward to watching more of Bergman's films, I forgot how good they were.
Rated 06 Jan 2011
78
74th
Sombre sets, a slow buildup of uncomfortable revalations from flawed characters and a haunting finale... and yet it didn't connect with me the way I hoped it would. The acting is superb and the cinematography is wonderfully atmospheric, but it might take a rewatch to truly start to appreciate the movie and its themes more.
Rated 17 Sep 2011
72
62nd
Whilst not perfect or consistant, it's remarkable in most senses and the themes and story stay with you long after the film finishes. Not one for modern audiences as it requires you to think.
Rated 16 Jan 2012
100
99th
A mentally ill woman plagued with the gripping clutches of this cruel mistress. A younger brother, naive and hit with a ton of bricks. A logical lover with no answers to give. A guilty father being crushed under the weight of himself. Feelings ranging from sexual to suicide. Immorality to god itself. This is probably the best Bergman I've seen yet. I am just absolutely struck by this film. Will take me a while to digest.
Rated 06 Mar 2012
89
92nd
Fantastic film. The photography, use of sound and excellent acting all help give this movie a unique, haunting feeling. Bergman knocks it out of the park again.
Rated 24 Aug 2013
82
88th
Slightly theatratical at times, especially in the epilogue that tries to spell out some sort of moral. But Harriet Andersson is a mother (or rhyme that) fucking monster.
Rated 12 Jan 2014
83
86th
Spiritual in a dirty way.
Rated 28 Nov 2018
80
75th
A masterfully shot film that leaves me a little cold.
Rated 18 Jul 2020
80
88th
We all inhabit multiple worlds but for some of us the chasm between these worlds is cataclysmic, such is the case for Karin. Bergman brilliantly shifts between the idyllic and horrific, with the Nykvist cinematography particularly stunning as Fårö asserts its presence. I was not convinced of the emotions of the characters as verbally expressed - despite the masterful writing by Bergman - but I was totally captivated by their emotions as physically expressed by Andersson and Passgård.
Rated 30 Apr 2007
85
89th
Impressive intimist film about the isolation and pain the way only Bergman can show.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
35
6th
not good as other Bergman's movie .. I hate this Room trilogy ..
Rated 27 Sep 2007
50
15th
Bleak bleak bleak.
Rated 28 Apr 2008
100
99th
A ruthless dive into the perplexed human soul.
Rated 12 Nov 2008
78
64th
12 Kasim 2008 - White House, Kas
Rated 20 Jan 2009
85
94th
Bergman's optimistic one with it's similarity to Dreyer's Ordet(The Word).
Rated 29 May 2009
86
86th
Excellent character study, each one of the four being a reflection of the other's issues. As always seems to be the case, complexity is deftly handled and the short duration seems at odds with the depth of the subject. Superb.
Rated 27 Jan 2010
74
77th
Slow, with mesmerizing dialogues, especially the last one, which is absolutely deep.
Rated 02 Apr 2010
88
88th
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAiFT99EkKU
Rated 27 May 2010
99
98th
An excellent film. It's also my favorite of the so-called "trilogy of faith".
Rated 08 Jun 2010
81
89th
Not great alone, but fantastic in perspective of the trilogy.
Rated 13 May 2011
98
98th
intimate, revealing, true
Rated 20 Jun 2011
65
58th
A near-miss for Bergman, really. Just because it looks good and is so damn austere in its dealings with god and spirituality does not make it brilliant.
Rated 10 Sep 2011
65
6th
Bergman gitsin tiyatro yonetsin.
Rated 04 Nov 2011
90
92nd
A work fueled by the stunning potency of its cryptic nature. While the angst of the exploitative father is certainly a significant emotional corner of the film, the exploits of the deranged (?) Karin, from the haunting style of her physical wandering to her explanations of her visions, are inspired to say the least. The first bizarre scene on board the wrecked ship is perfectly composed in every way, and from then on out every moment carries an unforgettable life-shaking sense of despair. Wow.
Rated 09 Jan 2012
93
90th
Some great shots, and superb acting. Very well made movie, just didn't hit me as hard as other Bergman films I've seen (though, admittedly, it is an incredibly high bar).
Rated 20 Jan 2012
85
95th
Loved the music, his work with sounds is pretty exquisite here - from the eerie almost Takemitsu-esque sounds when Linus looks for Karin when she's run away - to the helicopter coming in with one of Karin's final eruptions. Nykvist really comes through with some gorgeous shots, the whole thing takes a while to get going and I'm not a fan of everything. I don't like when he in a way becomes a parody of himself - characters exclaiming things like "God..." but I guess that's just me...
Rated 23 Mar 2012
80
89th
at one hand the cinematography is terrific, the dialogues are great, the themes are interesting and the overall set-up just sucked me right in; on the other hand the cinematography had even more potential (there were so many shadows, lights, sceneries to utilize even more), the random melodramatic monologues were annoying and the themes are sometimes somewhat half worked through (although in the end I guess they're all tied together).
Rated 02 Apr 2012
80
47th
An incredible performance in the midst of a moderately interesting tale.
Rated 27 May 2012
90
90th
Perfect cinematography! It makes you wonder: what would it be of Bergman without Sven Nykvist?
Rated 14 Sep 2012
97
95th
Each character is a unique creation, hopelessly estranged from the others.
Rated 04 Oct 2013
90
80th
The images in this one are so consistently beautiful and I can't even tell you how exciting it is to finally start loving Bergman's films. This one seems simple, but the psychological and philosophical questions are endless. Such a rich, affecting film.
Rated 10 Oct 2013
93
70th
The dad's a dick.
Rated 25 Apr 2014
95
99th
If I was bound to say something (for whom's sake - I do not know), I would have told that this movie has the form of an anxiety attack. But it is just some kind of simplistic and unworthy remark, that we must all endeavor.
Rated 17 Aug 2014
94
93rd
Estreava há 60 anos na Suécia. A única vez que vi esse filme eu estava chapada demais para conjecturar qualquer coisa (às vezes levo o John Waters a sério demais, rá!), agora tudo ficou mais claro e pude ver o pedaço de grande cinema que isto é. Apesar de se basear em fatos das vida do próprio Bergman (uma ex-amante esquizofrênica e sua própria tentativa de suicídio na Suiça), também dá para ver nuances semelhantes com a vida de James Joyce e sua filha esquizofrênica. Box VHV
Rated 06 Sep 2014
64
83rd
Very well done. Excellently directed with appropriate tone and tempo, although slow, drudging through the realities of life and our mortal world, and the painful longing to hear from God to ease our faith. Superb performances. Some plainness to the look - though attractive to art house lovers will look boring to average viewer. Challenging material, not quite a joy to watch.
Rated 30 Aug 2015
80
75th
A harrowing depiction of mental torment and isolation, framed by Bergman's larger questions about faith, theistic existence, and the role of suffering in one's life. Surprisingly optimistic by the end, though only to be dismantled in Bergman's much more pessimistic 'response' to this film, 'Winter Light.'
Rated 29 Feb 2016
80
81st
watched: 2016, 2023
Rated 12 May 2016
91
96th
Såsomienspegel (Aynanın İçinden) filminin tek kadın kahramanının akıl hastalığının seyri, Tanrı hakkındaki yeni bir sorgulamanın gerekçesi olur. Bergman, Tanrı'nın hastalıklı bir söylemi kendi içinde sürdürebilmek için, insan aklınca uydurulmuş bir şey olduğunu belirtir. Bir "Örümcek-Tanrı" fikrine varır. Kabusun yarattığı bu devi sevgiyle kovalamak gerekir. En azından, bencilliğinin kısırlığından bir anda kurtulan akıl hastası genç kadı
Rated 26 Sep 2016
84
28th
Kind of boring for me. Too much intended meaning that I probably just didn't get or didn't relate to.
Rated 13 Mar 2018
82
88th
It was the roughest Bergman movie I ever watched but still Bergman
Rated 09 May 2018
85
92nd
A laid back romp by the seaside where you have to work through all your issues.
Rated 15 Mar 2019
91
84th
90.50
Rated 17 Apr 2019
85
94th
bergman, insanin karanlik yonunu ruhsal cokuntu yasayan bir kadin uzerinden anlatmis. freud'yen bakis acisiyla yaklasilan ensest arzularin da oldugu bu karanlik dunyada insan tanrinin kurtariciligini mi beklemektedir yoksa karanligin yaraticisi tanri midir
Rated 17 Jun 2019
94
97th
Capricórnio
Rated 20 Jul 2019
78
89th
A great showcase for Andersson (re: her beauty and talent). The scenes of her talking to no one in an attic, awaiting salvation, are impossible to forget. Bergman immortalized Faro in this film as a cold and stark place, and the cast does fine work. It doesn't scale the heights of Bergman's greatest dramas because of its reduced scope, especially in the faith trilogy, and the fact that these themes have been explored better elsewhere, but it's a superior drama made by an obvious master.
Rated 09 Aug 2019
90
92nd
Dikkatlice seçilmiş kelimelere paralel olarak yaratılan tanrının, gerçekte nasıl göründüğüne dair zıt ve sert kavramın yüze çarpması. 3 filminin de ortak noktası titiz bir formalizmdir bana göre. Karakterlerin soğuk,sade,kesin duyguları,acı çeken ve sonsuz boşluklara kadar uzanmaktadır. İç tiyatrosunda üstünlük için savaşan bir monolog edası ile sunulan film Bergman'ın kendi ölümcül ve bölünmüş zihninin projeksiyonlarına benziyordu.
Rated 16 Nov 2019
80
68th
This is the rare case of a film that I think is masterfully crafted, but I can't say that I really care for it. I think the issue is that I found the characters strange and alienating, not in the sense that I couldn't relate to them, but more in the sense that they felt strangely artificial. They did not seem to act in the way real people did.
Rated 16 May 2020
78
49th
Cinematically enjoyable as always, and good performance from Harriet Andersson. Seems to be trying to say something about the incalculable and infinite power of love and its being identical to God in that sense, but fails to convey with full clarity all the ideas and connections Bergman was having in his mind.
Rated 28 May 2020
60
16th
Started out with promise, but I found the development of the story largely slow and boring.
Rated 13 Jun 2020
85
75th
I like some of thematic content here - the notion of living in manufactured realities to keep safe from the chaos of meaninglessness. Religion and art, viewed at first as methods of escape, later revealed to be the fabric of existence. Stretches of this feel so reliant on histrionic dialogue, which may come with the Bergman aesthetic but still makes it hard for me to participate emotionally. However, the complex themes and cinematic nature of certain sequences make this worthwhile.
Rated 02 Feb 2021
4
93rd
One of the darker Bergman's. Yes, even by his standards.
Rated 19 May 2021
65
59th
I really don't care this family.
Rated 25 Oct 2021
90
94th
if the other faith trilogy ones are having no faith that there is an answer (winter light) and trying to have faith when you don't have an answer (silence), i think this one is about having faith and trusting when your being lied to (in a broader sense of course)
Rated 11 Jul 2022
60
26th
I most liked some of the dialogue. Mostly when others, like her dad, would talk about her illness etc.
Rated 07 Nov 2022
85
92nd
''It's so horrible to see your own confusion and understand it.''
Rated 24 Jan 2024
70
81st
Sparse and might fall apart without some great scenes from Harriet Andersson. There is a stark contrast between how the fits and actions of the son and the daughter are reacted to, which lends a creepy cult-like vibe. The ending monologue, while beautiful and profound, felt tacked on.

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