Although the plot of the movie is abstract, it is also very captivating. After watching several Bergman films, I have formed such a mental preparation: I knew before I started watching each time that it would not be an easy journey, but it was quite fascinating to watch along the way, and I could always think about it after watching it. long time. So is this movie. I feel more and more that watching his movies is like backpacking. I'm tired on the road, but I don't regret it when I come back. I'm used to this way of travel, but the easy journey is not enough.
The movie is about two women, a patient and a nurse. The patient does not speak, and the nurse takes care of her. But at the beach on vacation, it's hard to tell who's taking care of whom. Both are not the norm. The patient still did not speak, but the nurse became a chatterbox and received spiritual comfort from the patient. The patient appears to be ruthless and strong, but also has tenderness and compassion.
The choice of the two actors is also very interesting. The nurse's face is angular and the patient's face is soft. The two faces are often only half visible under the sunlight, and the other half is hidden in the shadows. After a bizarre ideological struggle, two faces, two people, two discourse systems, and two characters have merged into one, and what is shown in front of us is a complete and bright face. However, the perfect combination of the two is only for a moment, and then it returns to the contradiction.
Who is the patient? Is it your own mirror? superego? Or is it a god created by man with his own thoughts? There is no answer.
Although the film is pretty good, it is really green compared to Bergman's later films. The intention to pursue formalization is very obvious, and it is a bit tricky. Maybe this is the director's jerky period, lacking the innocence of the previous films, but there is still some time and distance from the state of ease.
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