The Devil's Wanton
This review contains spoilers
This nihilist flick was painful and almost unbearable to watch on two fronts:
A. The young prostitute's character, thoroughly broken and molested, with an instinctual defensive reaction against opening up and being sensitive - especially in the company of and to men - a reaction that also (un)naturally develops in women who are not prostitutes themselves, but still prostitute their own bodies through excessive wanton sexual encounters and multitudes of sexual partners; a phenomena I've painfully observed, that self-destruction of body and spirit through the pop culturally-promoted sexual liberation, resulting in that self-encapsulation that makes each new male companion progressively and rapidly more difficult to connect with, carrying the baggage of all the past relationships - something that the clinical literature also suggests, that the higher the body count of a woman, the less likely she is able to commit to a monogamous relationship, to marry and be faithful and content. An absolute tragedy of epidemiological proportions in our current day and age, and pointily captured by Bergman in the character of the girl.
And when you have such a character, young 17 year-old Birgitta, already broken to a sickening degree, but a girl whose soul has not been completely crushed yet, whose spark of humanity, her ability and desire to seek love, tenderness and affection, and her virginity of the soul have not been fully stripped away yet, but the possibility of love and connection with another is still possible, and when such an opportunity arises, given as a God-given gift, and then life and people crush her to the upmost horrific scenario possible - the one that the devil craves to be the end of every divinely created beautiful human being, i.e. suicide - this is nihilism of a grand degree.
This lack of hope, the hopelessness of that tragic human story, is unbearable and unacceptable. Which leads to the second point.
B. The film's premise that the world lies in the devil's grip is true biblically and is indeed the Christian worldview. But Bergman's script removes the second half of the worldview, the truly important one: that God is the supreme ruler of all and while the devil may be running amok now, Christ is the ultimate sovereign and everything serves His purpose. And while there may be - and is - suffering on this Earth, His purpose is the saving and redemption of all human beings. So there is hope, there is faith, there is love, there is healing and fixing of everything broken - including the most broken people. This is not only possible, but promised to everyone who sincerely shouts to the Lord and asks for help. And it will be freely given to him out of divine grace.
Having said that, the bleak, nihilist and satanic ending of the film - the utterly hopeless human condition, according to the author - is both unbearable and intolerable as a thematic element of the film. I cannot accept it as it is not rooted in the ultimate reality of the created order. God's reality.
...
One side comment: the slapstick sequence right smack in the middle of the film is superb. Excellent direction, fresh, breaks up the storytelling in an extravagant manner, provides a breath of much-needed fresh air - both for the characters and viewers - at the right time.
A. The young prostitute's character, thoroughly broken and molested, with an instinctual defensive reaction against opening up and being sensitive - especially in the company of and to men - a reaction that also (un)naturally develops in women who are not prostitutes themselves, but still prostitute their own bodies through excessive wanton sexual encounters and multitudes of sexual partners; a phenomena I've painfully observed, that self-destruction of body and spirit through the pop culturally-promoted sexual liberation, resulting in that self-encapsulation that makes each new male companion progressively and rapidly more difficult to connect with, carrying the baggage of all the past relationships - something that the clinical literature also suggests, that the higher the body count of a woman, the less likely she is able to commit to a monogamous relationship, to marry and be faithful and content. An absolute tragedy of epidemiological proportions in our current day and age, and pointily captured by Bergman in the character of the girl.
And when you have such a character, young 17 year-old Birgitta, already broken to a sickening degree, but a girl whose soul has not been completely crushed yet, whose spark of humanity, her ability and desire to seek love, tenderness and affection, and her virginity of the soul have not been fully stripped away yet, but the possibility of love and connection with another is still possible, and when such an opportunity arises, given as a God-given gift, and then life and people crush her to the upmost horrific scenario possible - the one that the devil craves to be the end of every divinely created beautiful human being, i.e. suicide - this is nihilism of a grand degree.
This lack of hope, the hopelessness of that tragic human story, is unbearable and unacceptable. Which leads to the second point.
B. The film's premise that the world lies in the devil's grip is true biblically and is indeed the Christian worldview. But Bergman's script removes the second half of the worldview, the truly important one: that God is the supreme ruler of all and while the devil may be running amok now, Christ is the ultimate sovereign and everything serves His purpose. And while there may be - and is - suffering on this Earth, His purpose is the saving and redemption of all human beings. So there is hope, there is faith, there is love, there is healing and fixing of everything broken - including the most broken people. This is not only possible, but promised to everyone who sincerely shouts to the Lord and asks for help. And it will be freely given to him out of divine grace.
Having said that, the bleak, nihilist and satanic ending of the film - the utterly hopeless human condition, according to the author - is both unbearable and intolerable as a thematic element of the film. I cannot accept it as it is not rooted in the ultimate reality of the created order. God's reality.
...
One side comment: the slapstick sequence right smack in the middle of the film is superb. Excellent direction, fresh, breaks up the storytelling in an extravagant manner, provides a breath of much-needed fresh air - both for the characters and viewers - at the right time.
Mini Review: This nihilist flick was painful and almost unbearable to watch on two fronts: A. The young prostitute's character, thoroughly broken and molested, with an instinctual defensive reaction against opening up and being sensitive - especially in the company of and to men - a reaction that also (un)naturally develops in women who are not prostitutes themselves, but still prostitute their own bodies through excessive wanton sexual encounters and...