The Magician
Reviews
CRCulver
The three films that Ingmar Bergman produced at the close of the 1950s – <i>Det sjunde inseglet</i>, <i>Smultronstället</i> and <i>Jungfrukällen</i> – tower so high in his output that one might forget that these were not his only productions of the era. <i>Ansiktet</i> ("The Face", released in English-speaking markets as <i>The Magician</i>) from 1958 is one of his lesser-known films. In mid-19th century Sweden the magician Albert Emanuel Vogler (Max van Sydow) goes from town to town promising people cures for their ailments and performing magic tricks, including what was the sensation of the time, hypnosis. He is joined by his tout (Aake Fridell), his "ward" Mr. Aman (Ingrid Thulin) and his "grandmother" and the troupe's maker of patent medicine (Naima Wifstrand). After fleeing the law after a performance in one town, they pass through the forest and enter another community. Here they are detained by the authorities, so that the physician Vergerus (Gunnar Bjornstrand), the consul Egerman (Erland Josephson) can decide a wager on whether Vogler's tricks are real spiritual powers or scientifically explainable illusions. While <i>Ansiktet</i> should not be overlooked for fans of Bergman, I think it is fair that the film is not ranked among Bergman's greatest achievements. Characterization is pretty slim – we get no idea of why Vogler and his companion chose this life, and Vergerus is so shallow that Gunnar Bjornstrand seems wasted. And had the film ended three minutes earlier it would have been one of Bergman's more powerful conclusions, but instead we get a completely unexpected happy ending that just seems lame. Much of the middle part of the film depends on sex jokes that are funny at times, but I suspect anyone who knows Bergman's great output will continuously be thinking that he's capable of so much more than this. Still, <i>Ansiktet</i> does have a generally thought-provoking dramatic arc, and some moments will prove memorable. I especially admired the battle between Vergerus and Vogler and the magician's breakdown (funny how his temperment appropriately changes with his clothes in this scene).
CinemaSerf
I thought there was something of the slightly menacing John Carradine in Max Von Sydow's performance here, as the eponymous purveyor of bafflement. His troupe arrive in a forewarned small Swedish town that is full of scepticism about the wares and skills of the "Vogler" enterprise. MVS is the master magician, with his wife "Wanda" (Ingrid Thuler), his anti-wart tonic mixing aunt/grandmother (the scene-stealing Naira Wifstrand) and the enigmatic "Tubal" (Åke Fridell) all pulling their weight in this family business. The local police commissioner (Toivo Paulo) is deeply suspicious and demands that before they try out their "gifts" on the more gullible wider population, they demonstrate to a triumvirate of himself, local bigwig "Egerman" (Erland Jospehson) and the downright hostile health minister "Vergerus" (Gunnar Björnstrand). Now try as they might, these detractors just cannot disprove what they are seeing. Can this be real or is the "Vogler" science just too clever for them? What now ensues sees a sophisticated and frequently quite amusing series of battles of wits emerge. Not just between the accusers and the visitors, but soon we see a fracturing dynamic amongst the family itself as cracks begin to emerge and eyes (and hands) start to wander. It's the clever denouement that still holds up well and allows this enjoyably under-scripted poke at science and horror to conclude in an almost workmanlike manner. As ever with Bergman, it's also about the photography - and some of the intensity here, especially around the frequently rather sexually ambiguous wife, focusses on the eyes. Always the eyes. That really works well to build and sustain the growing hint of mystery and intrigue. Even we are not entirely sure what's going on and surely we would be wise to what must be their fraud? Good stuff!
Movie Recommendation
The Adventures of Prince Achmed1926-09-03Taken from The Arabian Nights, the film tells the story of a wicked sorcerer who tricks Prince Achmed into mounting a magical flying horse and sends the rider off on a flight to his death. But the prince foils the magician’s plan, and soars headlong into a series of wondrous adventures.More...
Scenes from a Marriage1974-09-15Johan and Marianne are married and seem to have it all. Their happiness, however, is a façade for a troubled relationship, which becomes even rockier when Johan admits that he's having an affair. Before long, the spouses separate and move towards finalizing their divorce, but they make attempts at reconciling. Even as they pursue other relationships, Johan and Marianne realize that they have a significant bond, but also many issues that hinder that connection.More...
Erik the Viking1989-09-01Erik the Viking gathers warriors from his village and sets out on a dangerous journey to Valhalla, to ask the gods to end the Age of Ragnorok and allow his people to see sunlight again. A Pythonesque satire of Viking life.More...
Brink of Life1958-03-31Three women in a maternity ward reveal their lives and intimate thoughts to each other.More...
The Devil's Eye1960-10-17The devil has a stye in his eye, caused by the purity of a vicar's daughter. To get rid of it, he sends Don Juan up from hell to seduce the 20 year old Britt-Marie and to rob her of her virginity and her belief in love. She however can resist him and things get even turned around when Don Juan falls in love with her. The fact that he feels love for the first time now, makes him even less attractive to her and Don Juan returns to hell.More...
Touki Bouki1973-05-10Mory, a cowherd, and Anta, a university student, try to make money in order to go to Paris and leave their boring past behind.More...
Auntie Mame1958-12-04Mame Dennis, a progressive and independent woman of the 1920s, is left to care for her nephew Patrick after his wealthy father dies. Conflict ensues when the executor of the father's estate objects to the aunt's lifestyle and tries to force her to send Patrick to prep school.More...
Once Upon a Honeymoon1942-11-27A radio correspondent tries to rescue a burlesque queen from her marriage to a Nazi official.More...
Zero Kelvin1995-09-29Larsen, an aspiring poet in '20s Oslo, leaves his girlfriend to spend a year as a trapper in East Greenland. There he is teamed with a seemingly rough old sailor/trapper, Randbæk, and a scientist, Holm. Trapped in a tiny hut together as the Arctic winter sets in, a complex and intense love/hate relationship develops between Randbæk and Larsen, who are more similar than either would like to admit. A powerful psychological and physical drama set against stunningly bleak Arctic scenery.More...
Tulpan2009-03-04Asa, a young and cheerful dreamer, returns from his Russian naval service to his sister’s nomadic family on the desolate Hunger Steppe of central Asia, so that he can begin his own life as a shepherd. But before he can tend a flock of his own, Asa must first win the hand of the only eligible girl for miles—his mysterious neighbor, Tulpan.More...
B.B. King - Live at the Royal Albert Hall 20112012-03-20On June 28, 2011, the "King of the Blues" B.B. King played to an adoring sold-out crowd at London's spectacular Royal Albert Hall. It was another unforgettable night in the career of one of the most legendary bluesmen to ever pick up a guitar. Joining the illustrious Mr. King onstage were guitar virtuoso Derek Trucks, "songbird extraordinaire" Susan Tedeschi, The Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood, Simply Red's Mick Hucknall and former Guns N' Roses axeman Slash.More...
Margot2009-11-30At the age of forty Dame Margot Fonteyn is considered to be past her best as a prima ballerina and Ninette de Valois is reducing her roles at the Royal Ballet. Then the exciting young Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev, a recent defector to the West, comes into her life and her bed and revitalizes her career. Frederick Aashton creates a new ballet for them and they become the golden couple of the ballet world. However, Margot is married to Roberto 'Tito' Arias, a Panamanian politician of dubious repute who is not sympathetic to her calling and is probably faithless. When he is shot and paralyzed for life Margot must carry on dancing well into her sixties in order to pay for his costly treatment though she still collaborates with Rudolf in the occasional ballet.More...
Family Plot1976-04-09Spiritualist Blanche Tyler and her cab-driving boyfriend encounter a pair of serial kidnappers while trailing a missing heir in California.More...
LEGO Batman: The Movie - DC Super Heroes Unite2013-05-21Joker teams up with Lex Luthor to destroy the world one brick at a time. It's up to Batman, Superman and the rest of the Justice League to stop them.More...
The Silence1963-09-23Traveling through an unnamed European country on the brink of war, sickly, intellectual Ester, her sister Anna and Anna's young son, Johan, check into a near-empty hotel. A basic inability to communicate among the three seems only to worsen during their stay. Anna provokes her sister by enjoying a dalliance with a local man, while the boy, left to himself, has a series of enigmatic encounters that heighten the growing air of isolation.More...
Away We Go2009-06-05Verona and Burt have moved to Colorado to be close to Burt's parents but, with Verona expecting their first child, Burt's parents inexplicably decide to move to Belgium, now leaving them in a place they hate and without a support structure in place. They set off on a whirlwind tour of of disparate locations where they have friends or relatives, sampling not only different cities and climates but also different families. Along the way they realize that the journey is less about discovering where they want to live and more about figuring out what type of parents they want to be.More...
Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles1976-01-21A lonely widowed housewife does her daily chores and takes care of her apartment where she lives with her teenage son, and turns the occasional trick to make ends meet. Slowly, her ritualized daily routines begin to fall apart.More...
Wild Strawberries1957-08-28Crotchety retired doctor Isak Borg travels from Stockholm to Lund, Sweden, with his pregnant and unhappy daughter-in-law, Marianne, in order to receive an honorary degree from his alma mater. Along the way, they encounter a series of hitchhikers, each of whom causes the elderly doctor to muse upon the pleasures and failures of his own life. These include the vivacious young Sara, a dead ringer for the doctor's own first love.More...
Umberto D.1952-01-20When elderly pensioner Umberto Domenico Ferrari returns to his boarding house from a protest calling for a hike in old-age pensions, his landlady demands her 15,000-lire rent by the end of the month or he and his small dog will be turned out onto the street. Unable to get the money in time, Umberto fakes illness to get sent to a hospital, giving his beloved dog to the landlady's pregnant and abandoned maid for temporary safekeeping.More...
Similar Movies
A History of Violence...
2005-09-23An average family is thrust into the spotlight after the father commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner.Things to Do in Denve...
1995-12-01Five different criminals face imminent death after botching a job quite badly.Caché
2005-10-05George, host of a television show focusing on literature, receives videos shot on the sly that feature his family, along with disturbing drawings that are difficult to interpret. He has no idea who has made and sent him the videos. Progressively, the contents of the videos become more personal, indicating that the sender has known George for a long time.A Beautiful Mind
2001-12-14From the heights of notoriety to the depths of depravity, John Forbes Nash Jr. experiences it all. As a brilliant but socially awkward mathematician, he made a groundbreaking discovery early in his career and stands on the brink of international acclaim. But as the handsome and arrogant Nash accepts secret work in cryptography, he becomes entangled in a mysterious conspiracy. His life takes a nightmarish turn and he soon finds himself on a painful and harrowing journey of self-discovery.Pi
1998-07-10A mathematical genius discovers a link between numbers and reality, and thus believes he can predict the future.Requiem
2006-03-02Michaela, an epileptic, enrolls in college to study education. She goes off her medication and soon begins hearing voices and seeing apparitions that tell her to avoid religious objects, although she is devoutly Roman Catholic. One priest scoffs at the idea that Michaela could be possessed by demons, but a younger pastor arranges an exorcism for the young woman.Willenbrock
2005-03-17Second-hand car sales man Willenbrock has everything that he could ever wish for. He is married, has two lovers, a cottage in the German city Grünen, and a BMW. Yet one day while at his cottage he gets mugged and his life is drastically changed. Little by little the world he once felt safe in falls apart around him.25th Hour
2002-12-19In New York City in the days following the events of 9/11, Monty Brogan is a convicted drug dealer about to start a seven-year prison sentence, and his final hours of freedom are devoted to hanging out with his closest buddies and trying to prepare his girlfriend for his extended absence.Clean, Shaven
1995-04-14Peter Winter is a young schizophrenic who is desperately trying to get his daughter back from her adoptive family. He attempts to function in a world that, for him, is filled with strange voices, electrical noise, disconcerting images, and jarringly sudden emotional shifts. During his quest, he runs afoul of the law and an ongoing murder investigation.The Illusionist
2006-08-18With his eye on a lovely aristocrat, a gifted illusionist named Eisenheim uses his powers to win her away from her betrothed, a crown prince. But Eisenheim's scheme creates tumult within the monarchy and ignites the suspicion of a dogged inspector.Arlington Road
1999-03-19Threats from sinister foreign nationals aren't the only thing to fear. Bedraggled college professor Michael Faraday has been vexed (and increasingly paranoid) since his wife's accidental death in a botched FBI operation. But all that takes a backseat when a seemingly all-American couple set up house next door.The Prestige
2006-10-17A mysterious story of two magicians whose intense rivalry leads them on a life-long battle for supremacy -- full of obsession, deceit and jealousy with dangerous and deadly consequences.The Talented Mr. Ripl...
1999-12-25Tom Ripley is a calculating young man who believes it's better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody. Opportunity knocks in the form of a wealthy U.S. shipbuilder who hires Tom to travel to Italy to bring back his playboy son, Dickie. Ripley worms his way into the idyllic lives of Dickie and his girlfriend, plunging into a daring scheme of duplicity, lies and murder.Bridge to Terabithia
2007-02-15Jesse Aarons trained all summer to become the fastest runner in school. So he's very upset when newcomer Leslie Burke outruns him and everyone else. Despite this and other differences including that she's rich, he's poor, she's a city girl, and he's a country boy the two become fast friends. Together they create Terabithia, a land of monsters, trolls, ogres, and giants where they rule as king and queen.Fear and Loathing in ...
1998-05-22Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo drive a red convertible across the Mojave desert to Las Vegas with a suitcase full of drugs to cover a motorcycle race. As their consumption of drugs increases at an alarming rate, the stoned duo trash their hotel room and fear legal repercussions. Duke begins to drive back to L.A., but after an odd run-in with a cop, he returns to Sin City and continues his wild drug binge.The Radiant One
2016-12-13A troubled man turns himself in, believing he's harmed others but is at war with himself over the facts surrounding his quest for clarity and a brush with supernatural phenomena.The Mothman Prophecie...
2002-01-25Reporter John Klein is plunged into a world of impossible terror and unthinkable chaos when fate draws him to a sleepy West Virginia town whose residents are being visited by a great winged shape that sows hideous nightmares and fevered visions.Youth Without Youth
2007-10-26Professor of language and philosophy Dominic Matei is struck by lightning and ages backwards from 70 to 40 in a week, attracting the world and the Nazis. While on the run, the professor meets a young woman who has her own experience with a lightning storm. Not only does Dominic find love again, but her new abilities hold the key to his research.Burn After Reading
2008-09-05When a disc containing memoirs of a former CIA analyst falls into the hands of gym employees, Linda and Chad, they see a chance to make enough money for Linda to have life-changing cosmetic surgery. Predictably, events whirl out of control for the duo, and those in their orbit.Der Novembermann
2007-07-06For ten years Lena Drömer has been traveling to Tuscany alone for four weeks every November - at least that's what her husband, the Protestant pastor Hermann, and her daughter believe. But this time it will be a journey without return. Shortly after her departure Lena is killed in a bus accident near Bremen. Her death gives up Hermann Rätsel. Why did she die in the north, when she wanted to go to the south? When, as every year in November, a postcard from Lena arrives from Italy, Hermann sets off in search of the truth.