Director: Ingmar Bergman
Some films' world is so vivid and well-drawn that we feel like we are reading a book. Fanny and Alexander is such a film. There's no technical wizardry, and every frame feels like it was slaved over to get the proper look. The camera just seems to be placed at the right point every time. It's the film of a completely confident filmmaker.
Set in early 20th century Sweden, the film concerns a brother and sister as they grow up, first in a family of great wealth, then in a family of great austerity. The transition is understandably difficult. Underneath all this is a commentary on the role of imagination in art, and the nature of truth and falsehood. It's perfectly constructed, but the plot is sparse, sometimes difficult, and the film is over three hours long. If I taught a film course, I could spend half a semester here, but I'm not sure I want to unravel what's going on at the bottom of this one.
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