Martin, , a respected doctor, his wife Karin, Karin's seventeen year old brother Minus, and widowed father David of Karin and Minus' have convened at the family's summer home on an island off the coast of Sweden to celebrate David's return from the Swiss Alps, where he was substantially completing his latest novel. The family has long lived a fantasy of they being a loving one, David's extended absences which are the cause of many of the family's problems. Without that parental guidance, Minus is at a confused and vulnerable stage of his life where he is a bundle of repressed emotions, most specifically concerning not feeling loved by his father and concerning the opposite sex. He is attracted to females as a collective but does not know how to handle blatant female sexuality, especially if it is directed his way. A month earlier Karin was released from a mental institution. Her doctor has told Martin that the likelihood that she will fully recover from her illness is low, her ultimate fate being that her mental state will disintegrate totally, although she has functioned well since her release. In his love for her, Martin has vowed to himself to see her through whatever she faces. As Karin begins to lose grip on reality, Minus is the one most directly affected, although it does bring out the issues all the men are facing with regard to their interrelationships.

Production Budget Analysis

The production budget for Through a Glass Darkly (1961) has not been publicly disclosed.

CAST: Harriet Andersson, Gunnar Björnstrand, Max von Sydow, Lars Passgård DIRECTOR: Ingmar Bergman CINEMATOGRAPHY: Sven Nykvist MUSIC: Erik Nordgren PRODUCTION: SF Studios

Box Office Performance

Through a Glass Darkly earned $8,939 in worldwide box office revenue.

Profitability Assessment

Insufficient publicly available data to assess profitability.

INDUSTRY IMPACT

Through a Glass Darkly is sometimes considered the first film in a trilogy that includes Winter Light and The Silence, and focuses on spiritual issues. Bergman writes, "These three films deal with reduction. Through a Glass Darkly – conquered certainty. Winter Light – penetrated certainty. The Silence – God's silence – the negative imprint. Therefore, they constitute a trilogy". He later retracted his claim the films form a trilogy.

Bergman would return to Fårö to shoot several more films, including Persona (1966), Hour of the Wolf (1968), Shame (1968), The Passion of Anna (1969), Fårö Document (1969) and The Touch (1971). Fårö Document is a documentary, while the others use the island for symbolism and have been termed the "island films".

In 2004, producer Andrew Higgie persuaded Bergman to allow a stage version of the work, initially intended for a production by Andrew Upton and Cate Blanchett during their time as Co-Artistic Directors at Sydney Theatre Company. Upton relinquished the project to Jenny Worton, dramaturg of the Almeida Theatre, London, where it was presented in July 2010, starring Ruth Wilson in the lead role of Karin.

PRODUCTION NOTES

▸ Casting

In keeping with his idea of the film being a "chamber play" in the mold of the work of August Strindberg, Bergman referred to his cast as a "string quartet". Bergman sent Andersson the screenplay, with Andersson initially declining, saying the role would be too challenging for her. She said Bergman replied with "Don't give me that load of shit!" To prepare, Andersson contacted a nurse to discuss schizophrenia. At the time, Lars Passgård was a novice actor.

▸ Filming & Locations

Through a Glass Darkly was filmed on the island of Fårö, at cinematographer Sven Nykvist's recommendation. It was Bergman's first film shot there, where he would film several more. Nykvist developed his style with the film, employing few camera movements. The director and cinematographer had very serious conversations in which they rethought how lighting should be employed. Nykvist and Bergman also planned to make Through a Glass Darkly as their first colour film collaboration, but were unhappy with the look of the colour shots they tested.

The film relies on natural sounds to convey silence in the characters' lives, with cello music after the incest scene being an exception. Four interpretations of Sarabande from Suite No. 2 in D minor for Cello, BWV 1008 by Johann Sebastian Bach are used in the film, with cellist Erling Blöndal Bengtsson providing all of them.

[Filming] Through a Glass Darkly was filmed on the island of Fårö, at cinematographer Sven Nykvist's recommendation. It was Bergman's first film shot there, where he would film several more. Nykvist developed his style with the film, employing few camera movements. The director and cinematographer had very serious conversations in which they rethought how lighting should be employed. Nykvist and Bergman also planned to make Through a Glass Darkly as their first colour film collaboration, but were unhappy with the look of the colour shots they tested.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Summary: Won 1 Oscar. 3 wins & 5 nominations total

Awards Won: ★ Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (34th Academy Awards)

Nominations: ○ International Submission to the Academy Awards ○ Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (34th Academy Awards) ○ Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay (35th Academy Awards)