Even though he's not the biggest or most showy character, I think Bishop Edvard is one of cinema's great villains. He hits that Nurse Ratched sweet spot of being representative of an entire institution while also feeling so personal, so real, and so contemptible. Jan Malmsjö's performance in that role is especially magnetic, and the story really kicks into high gear the second he becomes prominent, but everyone on the large cast does incredible work, including the two titular children

Bergman's massive close-ups have astonishing power. Gorgeous showcases for magnificent acting. A visual cornucopia, a strange, whimsical, disturbing fairy tale.

I'm on the Ekdahl's side, but Edvard Vergérus is not entirely wrong in his convictions, he just acts on them in the wrong way. In contrast, Gustav Adolf Ekdahl is almost all wrong in his convictions, but he enacts them in the right way. As I've said before, ghosts, dreams, fantasies etc. are not Bergman's strong suit, he should stick to what Peirce calls Secondness; reaction, resistance, and relation, in other words actuality. But a beguiling film nonetheless that does not feel like 5+ hours.

good

I could write a long review about all that's good (and less) about this, but let me just simply say that when a 5+hour long "movie" is over before I knew it, it does something very right.