From the Life of the Marionettes

At times interesting, although a bit hit-and-miss. The original Swedish incarnations of Peter and Katarina by Jan Malmsjö and Bibi Andersson were more convincing and horrifyingly appealing than those on offer here.

Quite an effective depiction of the psycho-sexual unravelling of a man and a couple, though the psychoanalytic interpretation provided in the film isn't so convincing (probably especially the part concerning homosexuality).

Overlooked TV Movie by Bergman that's not without its flaws - but well worth seeking out nonetheless! Curiously, although everybody speaks German in this movie (no, this has nothing to do with my copy of it...), the two main characters are the very same couple whom Johan & Marianne dine with in 'Scenes From a Marriage'.

Minor yet still massive Bergman film that could be categorized as his thriller (much in the same way that Vargtimmen was his horror movie). The full colored opening sequence bears a resemblance to the gialli of Bava, but the film quickly descends into his usual murk of terrible and ugly relationship forensics (this is a good thing), complete with a dream sequence and lengthy conversations consisting of things that need badly to be said, but phrased in the nastiest, most harmful way possible.

It's Bergman, but made me think of a lot of other directors. Chabrol's Just Before Nightfall, and kind of Fassbinder, Kind of Hitchcock. It does, however, suffer from the same flaw that plagues much of Bergman's work: The dialogue is obtusely over-serious. And this rather prevented it from really moving me or sticking in my memory.

The cinematography is really captivating, the back-and-forth, almost episodic structure gives the story a freshness and variety that elevates it, the acting is convincing, and the dialogues have some powerful moments. Ingmar Bergman knows how to convey a lot even through relatively small moments, and that's where "Aus dem Leben der Marionetten" excels the most. Moreover, the psychological themes of the script are intriguing even if they're occasionally tackled in a slightly heavy-handed manner.

about how dumb is psychoanalysis

Recognizably Bergman, with strong performances and many striking images, but it's a bit stilted and clinical.

This should, could been better than it is., cause the premise is very interesting. But the movie is too pessimistic and nihilistic and therefor becomes very dour. The explorations of the protagonist characters are too theoretical instead of about the personality of a real human being.

Bergman thinks he's making a big statement on existence, but actually ends up remaking Psycho. At least he's better at that than Van Sant.