Karin, newly out of a psychiatric hospital, spends a summer day on a remote island with her husband, her father and her teenage brother. Her illness returns as she begins to hear voices. Watch how Bergman builds a whole film from 4 people, an island and almost no music.
At a glance
Through a Glass Darkly is a 1961 drama film directed by Ingmar Bergman. This breakdown covers 4 techniques (1 psychology, 1 sound, 1 narrative and 1 cinematography), each with the scene where you can see it. If you like how it is made, Nights of Cabiria uses several of the same techniques.
Keeping it unclear what is real and what is imagined in the film's world. You end up as unsure as the main character.
How this film uses it
Karin hears voices and sees things that no one else can. You are never sure which are symptoms and which are real, and her family cannot tell either. By the end you share her confusion.
Where to see it
The attic: Karin hears voices, follows a foghorn to the attic and faints.
Leaving out background music almost entirely, even in scenes that would normally have it. Wind, footsteps and a creaking door have to create the mood and emotion.
How this film uses it
The film relies on natural sound such as wind, waves and quiet talk. The one major exception is cello music, a Bach sarabande, after Karin and Minus have sex. Because the rest of the film is so quiet, that music hits hard.
Where to see it
The beach during a storm: Karin and Minus have sex, and Bach's cello music follows.
Embedding a play or musical inside the film, so the staged piece mirrors or comments on the characters' real lives.
How this film uses it
Minus writes a play for the family, and the way David reacts shows how he sees himself. The play lets the film say what the characters cannot.
Where to see it
Minus's play: Minus writes a play that the family performs, and David takes offense at how it portrays him.
Holding a close-up on an actor's face long enough to catch tiny changes in expression. You read what the character is thinking from details a wider shot would miss.
How this film uses it
Bergman holds close-ups on Harriet Andersson's face as Karin's mind wavers between calm and fear. You read her illness from small shifts around her eyes and mouth. Her face becomes the film's main special effect.
Where to see it
Karin's confession: she says she cannot live in 2 realities and asks to go back to hospital. She describes God as an evil-faced spider.
Questions
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