Persona (film)



A 1966 classic film by Ingmar Bergman, the guy who made The Seventh Seal, starring Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann. As with anything by Ingmar Bergman, this movie rides heavily on symbolism and philosophy. Its plot is... hard to explain.

At first, it is pretty straightforward: an actress named Elisabet Vogler suddenly decides not to speak and is thus considered mentally ill. She and Alma, the nurse who takes care of her, are sent to a Summer cottage in hopes that it will help nurse the actress back to health. Alma talks to her a lot, first about trivial things and then about increasingly personal matters. One day, she reads a letter by Elisabet to her husband, which talks about these matters; among them, a sexual tryst Alma had with underage boys. Cold war ensues.

Whatever happens from there on is entirely up to you to guess. The director's lack of explanation does not help. However, it is still regarded as one of the best movies by Ingmar Bergman.

Unrelated to the Persona videogames.

This film provides examples of:

 * All Psychology Is Freudian: Averted--as the title suggests, psychology in this film is primarily based on Jung's ideas, which the viewer is apparently expected to know all about.
 * Alternate Character Interpretation: Ooooh boy. Let's see...
 * Elisabet is a vampire.
 * Elisabet is part of Alma or vice-versa.
 * This is All Just a Dream by one of the women.
 * Or All Just a Dream of the boy in the bed at the beginning of the movie, who happens to be the son of Elisabet and Alma is his "persona" in the dream.
 * Gainax Ending
 * Hilarious in Hindsight: In the first 5 minutes, there is a split second shot of an erect penis. The plot of the film concerns two people who may or may not be the same person. Ringing any bells?
 * Le Film Artistique
 * Les Yay: Complete with possible Selfcest!
 * Meaningful Name: Alma, which is Spanish and Portuguese for "soul".
 * Mind Screw
 * Painting the Fourth Wall: The director reminds us several times, through a few weird sequences, that this is only a movie.
 * Squick: The description of the menage a quatre. Fetish Fuel for some.
 * The Voiceless: Elisabet.
 * Suddenly Voiced: On three instances, though it may not have happened.
 * True Art Is Angsty