Fanny och Alexander (1982)

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writer:

Ingmar Bergman (written by)

Release Date:

17 June 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery

Tagline:

En film av Ingmar Bergman

Plot:

The title characters are children in the exuberant and colorful Ekdahl household in a Swedish town early in the twentieth century...

Plot Keywords:

Abusive Stepfather | Emotional Abuse | Pregnant | Locked In Attic | Boy

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Kristina Adolphson	...	Ekdahlska huset - Siri
Börje Ahlstedt	...	Ekdahlska huset - Carl Ekdahl
Pernilla Allwin	...	Ekdahlska huset - Fanny Ekdahl
Kristian Almgren	...	Ekdahlska huset - Putte Ekdahl
Carl Billquist	...	Ekdahlska huset - Police Superintendent Jespersson
Axel Düberg	...	Ekdahlska huset - Witness to Bishop's death
Allan Edwall	...	Ekdahlska huset - Oscar Ekdahl
Siv Ericks	...	Ekdahlska huset - Alida
Ewa Fröling	...	Ekdahlska huset - Emilie Ekdahl
Patricia Gélin	...	Ekdahlska huset - Statue (as Patricia Gelin)
Majlis Granlund	...	Ekdahlska huset - Miss Vega
Maria Granlund	...	Ekdahlska huset - Petra Ekdahl
Bertil Guve	...	Ekdahlska huset - Alexander Ekdahl
Eva von Hanno	...	Ekdahlska huset - Berta
Sonya Hedenbratt	...	Ekdahlska huset - Aunt Emma

Also Known As:

Fanny and Alexander (USA)
Fanny et Alexandre (France)
Fanny und Alexander (West Germany)

Runtime:

188 min | Sweden:312 min (TV version)

Country:

Sweden | France | West Germany

Language:

Swedish | German | Yiddish | English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Italy:T | Australia:M | South Korea:15 | Philippines:R-13 | Argentina:16 | Canada:14A | Canada:G (Quebec) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Iceland:L | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Norway:16 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Europa Studios, Bromma, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

Company:

Cinematograph AB

Trivia:

In his dairy book kept during shooting, Ingmar Bergman notes that Jan Malmsjö, playing Vergérus, once collapsed due to long shooting hours combined with stage work (6 performances a week).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The movie is set around 1905, as can be seen from the "contract" that Gustav Adolf gave Maj early in the movie, but Edvard tells Emilie that he heard that the universe is expanding. Slipher discovered the red shifts in some nebulae/galaxies in 1912, an observation that suggests that these objects are moving away from us; Hubble's law of the expanding universe was published in 1929; and the big bang theory become popular in the 1950s.

Quotes:

Ekdahlska huset - Alexander Ekdahl: [to his stepfather] Alexander does not wish the Bishop a good night.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Zomergasten: (#11.4)" (1998)

Triumphant

This film could never have been made in the United States. I realize when it was made Bergman had been around for a long time and had his own clout but it still has too much of a philosophical slant to be mainstream here. This film is amazing. The first hour moves at a slow pace but it really sets up the rest of the movie well and then it really picks up. The cinematography is breathtaking and while this story makes you think a lot you don't feel ambivalent towards the characters through the rest of the first film after having been slowly introduced to all the characters you have a certain identifcation that is purely emotional and blends wonderfully with the other aspects of the film. It's truly great and should be considered one of Bergman's best works.