Ingmar Bergman's work is both influential and highly acclaimed, leaving its mark indelibly on a whole generation of cineasts. Many of his films, notably The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries and Cries and Whispers have been hailed as classics. Bergman has made over forty films in a period spanning nearly three decades.Many are closely related to each other through Bergman's personal preoccupations and meditations. All of them bear the mark of his highly individualistic treatment of such universal themes as human isolation, relationships, the existence of God and the position of the artist in society.

This is a critical history of Berman's films , from his earliest work as a writer/director up to Autumn Sonata and his first projects outside of his native Sweden. The author traces the development of Bergman's highly individual techniques , dialogues and his disjointed use of time and space in the narrative and explores Bergman's sense of identity as a Scandinavian artist. He explores Bergman's personal biography, especially his early life as the son of a Lutheran minister.

Philip Mosely