Ingmar Bergman

by Peter Cowie

Book by Peter Cowie

Genres: Film, Biography, Nonfiction

1 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1982

About the author

Peter Cowie is a film historian and author of more than thirty books on film. In 1963 he was the founder/publisher and general editor of the annual International Film Guide, a survey of worldwide film production.

Reviews

[Henry Sturcke · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I understand it, this was the first full treatment of Bergman and his films to appear in English. Apparently there was a second, revised edition, but I'm reading the 1982 (Secker & Warburg) original, because that's the edition in the local library. I have learned things about the director's life, some of them helpful for better understanding his films. But I'm constantly struck by how amateurish the writing is. Poorly constructed sentences. Non sequiturs. Lack of expansion of points that cry out for amplification, while at other times belaboring a point beyond the obvious. It reads in places like the quickly-typed notes one makes in preparation for a first draft. Don't know if any of these issues were addressed in the next edition. Sorry to be so negative, but given the reputation of the author, I was expecting better.

[Scott Nye · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid overview, a foundation for everything else that’s come since. Too brief, though, and too reverent.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to Bergman’s career, well worth reading

[Peter Ruark · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, this was a case of reading the perfect book at exactly the right time. I had just begun exploring Ingmar Bergman's work in 2001 rather intensely, watching five of his films within a week. My interest began with hearing a reference to Bergman in a Woody Allen film and remembering that I had been meaning to watch more of his work, having only seen The Seventh Seal. I checked out The Virgin Spring from the video rental shop one evening, noticing they had about ten other Bergman titles as well, and was so taken with it that I returned right after watching it and checked out The Seventh Seal to re-watch that evening and Autumn Sonata to watch the next evening. A couple evenings later I watched Hour of the Wolf and the following evening The Silence, and decided after those two intensely dark films that I needed to take a little break from watching Bergman and actually learn more about him and the films I had watched and set them in context. Cowie's book was perfect for that. I eventually watched every film available at rental shops and the local libraries over the next couple of years, even over the course of moving to a different city, and Cowie's book greatly increased my appreciation for his work. The book contains many excellent photo stills which are themselves works of art, compliments of Gunnar Fischer and Sven Nykvist.

[Dan Humphrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still THE book to read first. I wish Cowie would write a second edition.

[Joni · Rating 2 out of 5]

some mumbling on the couch

[Jimmy Cline]

I can't wait to read this. Peter Cowie is a fucking genius!