English Title: The Magician
Original Title: Ansiktet
Year: 1958
Country: Sweden
Language: Swedish
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Director/Writer: Ingmar Bergman
Music: Erik Nordgren
Cinematography: Gunnar Fischer
Cast:
Max von Sydow
Ingrid Thulin
Gunnar Björnstrand
Naima Wifstrand
Åke Fridell
Bibi Andersson
Erland Josephson
Gertrud Fridh
Lars Ekborg
Toivo Pawlo
Bengt Ekerot
Birgitta Pettersson
Sif Ruud
Oscar Ljung
Alex Düberg
Rating: 7.3/10
Labeled by IMDB as a comedy, a genre one could ever relate to Bergman's school by the narrowest of margins, this is THE MAGICIAN, Bergman's atypical abandon in conspiratorial ridicule of the dialectic face-off between science and occult, but to what end?
A bandwagon transports the troupe of Vogler's Magnetic Health Theater to a unspecific town where a spectacle is booked, but the group's practice is challenged by Dr. Vergerus (Björnstrand), the Minister of Health, who resolves to debunk their act as pure hocus-pocus. The gauntlet is thrown down, Albert Vogler (von Sydow), the head of the troupe, takes it up with fortitude and selective muteness. It appears that a complacent Dr. Vergerus has the drop on the frozen-out troupe, but a consequential skulduggery is in the pipeline aiming to turn the table and Bergman really jumps the shark to ensure that to happen in its money shot, which takes place inside a locked attic, where Dr. Vergerus gets spooked by an apparently resurrected Albert, although audience is tipped off well in advance. These sequences are rendered with striking chiaroscuro contrast and perturbing foley effect, in lieu of the usual reaction shots of screaming and panicking, Björnstrand imbues a divine flair of restraint into the moment,wavering between being soundly startled and trying to recollect himself at any rate.
Essentially, this is an ensemble piece, schematic vignettes limning human interactions in sometimes frivolous (the love potion gimmick and its knock-on are too tongue-in-cheek to suspend our disbelief), sometimes gnomic (the usual apparition of a witch-like Naima Wifstrand as Albert's garrulous granny verges on being goosebump-inducing) manners, but there is no emphatic through-line to connect all the dots, it is merely a menagerie of grotesque characters, tainted by their heterogeneous foibles and quirks.
Mr. von Sydow brings about a sharp presence through the dichotomy of a man's camouflage and realness (especially by dint of his soul-stirring gaze and stoic looks), and Ingrid Thulin beautifully gets worked up as the intrepid wife of Albert with a gimlet eye. In addition, Bengt Ekerot (the iconic Death himself in THE SEVENTH SEAL 1957, 8.4/10) has a short but critical role as a dying actor succumbing to alcoholism, greatly ignites the screen whenever popping up with his self-destructive yakking, to a rather poignant effect.
Profoundly immersing oneself into this aesthetically captivating picture of Bergmanesque hallmark (camerawork, art production and their paraphernalia are all first-rate and enthralling to behold) amalgamated with a willfully flippant approach in its narrative, one might tend to be simultaneously attracted and grated, the larger-than-life philosophy which it has been dwelling on eventually comes off as nebulous and scattershot, but undeniably, THE MAGICIAN can also be deemed as a hard-earned fan's favourite because at least for once, Bergman lets up a bit his sharp-edged perspicacity and indoctrination, and salts this escapade-like fable with a dash of nonchalance and slyness.
referential points: Bergman's SUMMER INTERLUDE (1951, 7.3/10), PERSONA (1966, 7.7/10), FACE TO FACE (1976, 7.9/10), AUTUMN SONATA (1978, 8.4/10); Alf Sjöberg's MISS JULIE (1951, 7.1/10).
CC伯格曼套装,8.2分。 电影即是魔术,导演是魔术师又是小丑 既然是小丑,就注定一生流浪,送走旧人,迎来新人,继续在喧嚣中踏上我们孤独的旅途 所以说,小丑/魔术师的眼泪和自尊都是不值一文的 Nordgren的音乐确实是亮点(作曲家显然风格上有所突破),Fisher的摄影宛如仙境(尤其林中那一段) 死亡(第七封印之后)继续在此蔓延,苍白脸部大特写无疑点题 装哑口的魔术师,Sydow全靠眼睛和脸部演绎,化妆和表演俱佳,Wifstrand是名副其实的老戏骨 “I make a better ghost than human being",这是艺术家委曲求全而不得的自白么? 魔术师当众被羞辱,自然神力的报复却能即现,现实与魔幻的边界在哪里? 最后一段阁楼上Vergerus博士的独角戏(严格说还有魔术师,但Bjornstrand的表演撑住全场)恐怖氛围浓烈(音画的心理惊悚) 当魔术师在现实面前不得不哀怜,低头,弯腰,并捡起了那枚硬币,杂耍(艺术)的溃败实在让人心中留下酸楚的眼泪 当马车一骑绝尘扬长而去,寂静的画面中只剩摇晃的路灯,在远处发出吱呀的声响。呼应了野草莓的意向,这又是死亡的暗影在作祟吧
犯贱夜看剥壳慢,只因谄媚银虱奖
面孔是人存活于世间的假面壳。像《第七封印》那种的估计要完全渗透到《圣经》里才能理解。
①沉默的骗子是受难的耶稣,伪装的妻子是纯洁的圣徒,年老的巫师是冷静的圣者。②医生的形象为当时恶评伯格曼电影的影评人,以此来点明艺术与媒体的隔阂,从而质询不同阶级个体沟通的可能性。③一个没有看过伯格曼电影的人,最适合从本部看起,因为本片能够看到他艺术生涯的绝大多数作者符号。
十九世纪中叶巫术、骗术、科学大战的题材,小格局、舞台化场景,除了最后出场的警察之外,几乎是人人有用。配角们的性格,如公爵夫人、保镖、厨娘等,也藉由诸如迷信诉求和献祭、谋杀背景、性欲持家护新夫等等小动作表现彻底。至于艺术家、上帝、观众之类,得了吧——倒不如说是浪漫主义略赢科学妥当。
片名既为“面孔”,又为“魔术师”。或许正是电影要展现的两面,一是有无面具时不同的人本身,二是魔术、幻术、巫术与科学、理性、生死的对撞。各人选择不同的信仰站位,却不约而同地在不同人面前呈现不同面孔。有许多悖论与矛盾,背后又隐匿着一丝狡黠的笑。哥特风与舞台化,一日一夜的荒谬。
7.9 魔术师、骗子、艺术家,圣三位一体。每场戏都看得懂,凑起来就不知道是什么意思,但又挺好看。冯叙多、古纳尔、约瑟夫森,伯格曼三大男主齐聚一堂,恐怕就这么一次吧。
喜剧和心理惊悚剧的杂糅,还蛮有意思的。喜剧的部分有点《夏夜的微笑》的味道,i.e莫里哀式的法式喜剧。心理惊悚剧则是《野草莓》的潜意识延伸。
倒数第二场在阁楼的戏拍得可真好哇。很熟练地运用了光影、镜子的反射还有声音等等,感觉给现在许多恐怖片的吓人套路提供了思路。虽然还是被结尾的一大盆鸡汤浇了个狗血淋头,哈哈。Max von Sydow真的在伯格曼的电影里各种帅气!
在现代科学面前,没有神秘可言——缺少艺术细胞的科学主义者们在《沉默》而神秘、悲伤又痛苦的《魔术师》面前竟是如此大言不惭。对于死亡的恐惧和无法将之克服的心理,已经让人类自负到如此愚昧无知的地步了。伯格曼在这部作品里揭露和讽刺的是人类的虚伪:理性主义者能够轻易指出「光影魔术」这一艺术真相的虚假,但当人生真相借由艺术真相道出之后,人类又需要用艺术来掩藏这种真实体验。是啊,人生原本就是现代科学无法解释的一个谜。面对人的死亡,科学也是束手无策,只能以「人生来就是要死的」这样的结论来安慰你。论无情,死去的上帝最无情。作为一个人,伯格曼已经在《生命的门槛》里体现出了他对人类不幸的最大慈爱。作为一位艺术王国里的君主,伯格曼借助电影这门大众艺术来掩饰他才情卓越之特权的《面孔》也展露出了他对人类不幸的无可奈何。
阁楼那场戏中医生是不知情的,但观众自始至终都知到这是一个把戏,知情情况下的观看也并未削弱这场戏的惊悚效果。后面魔术师哀求医生时说了句“我给了你那么珍贵的体验”,我想这句话也是伯格曼想对观众说的。魔术是假的,电影也是假的,但你的体验总不是假的吧?
相当情节剧,如今看起来非常不“伯格曼”的电影,个人主义精神有被英雄化的倾向,值得一提的是Max Von Sydow扮演的催眠师手中的魔灯放映机,那是影响伯格曼一生的童年玩具,赋予他诗话想象力的根源,一切梦的开端。
如《小丑之夜》中的马戏团在上帝缺失的语境中延续,《面孔》中,弗洛伊德的"本我"如同面具般逐渐从所有人脸上摘下,但并不代表伯格曼对于"神秘主义"否定态度且站在科学主义一边,相反,前者实际赢了。喜剧性的"解决"或为世俗政治映射也或奇迹,第一次在伯格曼作品中出现费里尼式的漫画人物
SPACE MUSEUM 290808 SUMMER IFF 2008
再沒人把藝術家與觀衆之間互相愛慕又互相憎恨的情愫糾纏表達得更得體了...認識他者不正是出于自我解放的需要
我非常相信这是一个故事,而不是因为为了一部电影编纂出来的故事,电影则充分展示了伯格曼技高一筹的调度,摄影与狭小空间中演员的走位和反应的匹配,是这个故事优雅的被展现,就像魔术一样迷人,电影叙事也是一种魔术,在幻觉中进行佯攻,在完美和谐的群像表演下,做到了表里合一的美。
魔术师夫妇、医生、演员不止是艺术家与媒体的写照,若只拍他们绝对五星,拍成群像反而碍事。冯西多黑发胡须不说话的演出妆是完美的tall dark stranger,第一次觉得他好性感!同凄苦的金发真相对比超棒,我很爱这个角色。
幻觉是假的,但精神体验却是真的。所以氙气药水能够让人意乱情迷,一块白纱可以使人口吐真言;沉默的催眠师是假的,但话唠的老女巫却是真的。催眠师一旦开口,一切神秘诡异的人设崩塌,露出市井骗子的本色。老女巫看似满口胡言乱语,却真能预见马夫的死亡,时常比划的倒十字架就是将灵魂出卖给魔鬼的证据。看来还是不要盲目地轻信面孔,也不要傲慢地鄙视灵魂。
[面孔]是伯格曼作品里最容易被忽视的杰作,也是他聚焦艺术家的挣扎的作品里极为出色的一部。自知虚伪的艺术家如[假面]里的女演员一样躲进沉默的幌子背后,而代表观众和评论家的科学人士对艺术造出的这一假象发起了猛烈攻击,一上来就能说出真相的反倒是垂死的艺术家之镜像。是啊,一切皆是虚伪,但我们依然还要孜孜不倦地把这虚伪当做真实,因为只有在谎言里才能寻得见事实。影片充满讽刺的皆大欢喜结尾于是可以看做是伯格曼无奈的宣言:既然你们情愿受骗,我也就继续装腔作势吧!
太精彩了!这部完成了双重迷惑 故事中对角色的迷惑观影层面对观众的迷惑 伯格曼不正是带着电影迷幻术走进影院的Volger嘛!当观众像科学家一样以为自己早已看穿电影的伎俩当我们以为已经被叙述视角透露了真相实则被伯格曼一次次欺骗 就凭这伯格曼高出诺兰至少两层境界 后者还停留在故事内叙述悬疑和反转前者早已将观众纳入到整个作为浸入式戏剧舞台的虚构电影系统中 作为心理游戏的魔术依然具有魔法的效力就像假戏真做明知春药为假的女仆最终完全被折服哪一个观众又不是呢?
[2020年6月伯格曼√] 伯格曼拍了个鬼片哈哈哈哈什么鬼……嘲讽的调子控制得实在太好了。精湛的室内剧,实际上也算是“闯入者”模式,以及楼上楼下模式。·冯·叙多夫这个扮相太牛了。