I love this period of Bergman's filmography, and find myself thinking efforts like this one are underrated. It's also a mystery to me how this is sometimes tagged as a comedy. There really aren't that many humorous moments in it, and while it may seem like a lighter effort, or a departure from the theme of Bergman's struggle with faith and meaning that is often a part of his films, it has a weight to it all its own. I see it as wrestling with a different kind of faith, that between men and women, how marriages and relationships change over time, and how people can be torn between ideal love and compromises in life.
Perhaps most of all, it's an uncompromising look at sex, which we see throughout these stories that three women (Anita Björk, Maj-Britt Nilsson, and Eva Dahlbeck) tell from their personal lives while sitting around and waiting for their husbands to show up. In the first, we see adultery in a bathhouse leading to a confession, in the second we see an affair leading to an unplanned pregnancy, and in the third, we see a married couple get passionate while trapped in an elevator. Unfettered by the American Production Code, Bergman is free to openly refer to the first woman getting sexual satisfaction and an orgasm from someone else, since her husband doesn't satisfy her. In the second story, he shows us topless cabaret dancing followed by a steamy seduction that is told almost completely non-verbally. In the last, there's a clear indication of the husband's (Gunnar Björnstrand) arousal during a leg massage highlighted by Dahlbeck's sly, knowing smile, and then after an evening together, the pair's clothes are disheveled when they're rescued in the morning. We don't really "see" a lot of sex, but it's all pretty steamy nonetheless.
With Bergman it's much more layered and not just sex of course, with intelligent dialog, beautiful cinematography, direct honesty, and the struggle between passion and restraint. The scene in elevator is much more erotic because of the couple's history together, her playfulness, and how they speak so openly to one another. There is such a connection there, and even it has frayed a little with time, the scene is so much more powerful as a result. The second story has some powerful moments as well, such as when the artist (Birger Malmsten) doesn't even listen to Nilsson's important news, and her eyes show her reaction to being bottled up. The visit to the doctor is well-told too, with a nice montage sequence while she's delivering, and a cameo from Bergman himself when she leaves (look for the guy in the beret who looks at her in the mirror as she studies herself).
I liked how the fourth woman at the table didn't have an interesting anecdote, and wondered if that was something to regret or to be happy about. I also liked the inclusion of the younger couple, which give us a glimpse into the pressures in life when becoming an adult, and facing inevitable compromise. As the young woman (Gerd Andersson, sister of Bibi) strokes his neck lovingly, the young man (Björn Bjelfvenstam) says "I told them I don't want to. (go to business school so he can ultimately join the family firm) 'Do you have a better suggestion?' said Uncle Fredrik, with that look on his face only he has. It didn't come out that I'd rather travel and see the world, so I said no and looked like an idiot." Later we'll see their youthful idealism, as after listening to all these stories and deciding to run away together, she hugs him tightly and says "Swear that you'll always love me as much as tonight. Swear that we'll never compromise, never stray, never lie, cheat or behave like everybody else. Because otherwise we might as well be dead." I thought it was quite sweet, and yet we know they are bound to perpetuate the cycle.
This is an interesting prelude to 'Summer with Monika' from the following year, and here Bergman provides commentary in the form of one of the men (Håkan Westergren) talking to Nilsson as they watch the young pair out on the water.
Westergren: Let them run away. Nilsson: What are you saying? Westergren: I'm saying let them run away. They'll be back in time. Nilsson: You think? Westergren: The main thing is that they do something they think is forbidden. Nilsson: Oh, Paul. Westergren: Let them have their summer. Soon enough, the hurt, the wisdom, and all that other stuff will come.
Perhaps most of all, it's an uncompromising look at sex, which we see throughout these stories that three women (Anita Björk, Maj-Britt Nilsson, and Eva Dahlbeck) tell from their personal lives while sitting around and waiting for their husbands to show up. In the first, we see adultery in a bathhouse leading to a confession, in the second we see an affair leading to an unplanned pregnancy, and in the third, we see a married couple get passionate while trapped in an elevator. Unfettered by the American Production Code, Bergman is free to openly refer to the first woman getting sexual satisfaction and an orgasm from someone else, since her husband doesn't satisfy her. In the second story, he shows us topless cabaret dancing followed by a steamy seduction that is told almost completely non-verbally. In the last, there's a clear indication of the husband's (Gunnar Björnstrand) arousal during a leg massage highlighted by Dahlbeck's sly, knowing smile, and then after an evening together, the pair's clothes are disheveled when they're rescued in the morning. We don't really "see" a lot of sex, but it's all pretty steamy nonetheless.
With Bergman it's much more layered and not just sex of course, with intelligent dialog, beautiful cinematography, direct honesty, and the struggle between passion and restraint. The scene in elevator is much more erotic because of the couple's history together, her playfulness, and how they speak so openly to one another. There is such a connection there, and even it has frayed a little with time, the scene is so much more powerful as a result. The second story has some powerful moments as well, such as when the artist (Birger Malmsten) doesn't even listen to Nilsson's important news, and her eyes show her reaction to being bottled up. The visit to the doctor is well-told too, with a nice montage sequence while she's delivering, and a cameo from Bergman himself when she leaves (look for the guy in the beret who looks at her in the mirror as she studies herself).
I liked how the fourth woman at the table didn't have an interesting anecdote, and wondered if that was something to regret or to be happy about. I also liked the inclusion of the younger couple, which give us a glimpse into the pressures in life when becoming an adult, and facing inevitable compromise. As the young woman (Gerd Andersson, sister of Bibi) strokes his neck lovingly, the young man (Björn Bjelfvenstam) says "I told them I don't want to. (go to business school so he can ultimately join the family firm) 'Do you have a better suggestion?' said Uncle Fredrik, with that look on his face only he has. It didn't come out that I'd rather travel and see the world, so I said no and looked like an idiot." Later we'll see their youthful idealism, as after listening to all these stories and deciding to run away together, she hugs him tightly and says "Swear that you'll always love me as much as tonight. Swear that we'll never compromise, never stray, never lie, cheat or behave like everybody else. Because otherwise we might as well be dead." I thought it was quite sweet, and yet we know they are bound to perpetuate the cycle.
This is an interesting prelude to 'Summer with Monika' from the following year, and here Bergman provides commentary in the form of one of the men (Håkan Westergren) talking to Nilsson as they watch the young pair out on the water.
Westergren: Let them run away. Nilsson: What are you saying? Westergren: I'm saying let them run away. They'll be back in time. Nilsson: You think? Westergren: The main thing is that they do something they think is forbidden. Nilsson: Oh, Paul. Westergren: Let them have their summer. Soon enough, the hurt, the wisdom, and all that other stuff will come.