Monday, January 27, 2014

Såsom i en spegel (Through a Glass Darkly) 1961

This morning my daughter woke me up by spilling cold milk all over my shoulders and chest, then cried that her cup was empty.  I told her, "Don't cry over spilled milk" and she did not find that funny.

Today's film is the 9th foreign film of the year, and it's from Sweden. Today's film is Såsom i en spegel (Through a Glass Darkly).  It is dark and moody and has a constant sense of isolation.  It takes place mostly on an island devoid of modern comforts.  The characters are Karin, her husband, David, her little brother, Minus, and thier dad.

Their dad has just gotten home from a trip, and based on the terrible gifts he gets them, we can tell he's out of touch with his family.  Karin has returned from a stint in a mental hospital, and her condition may be getting worse over time.  Minus has his own issues, especially since he is finding himself not attracted to women.

Even though her family is supportive, Karin is finding her condition getting worse.  She hears voices and has hallucinations.  She believes that their are people in her attic waiting for God in the crack in the wall.  After sexually assaulting her own brother in the abandoned ship nearby, she returns to the attic.  Suddenly, god appears to her and it turns out that it's a giant spider that attacks her.


Part of me wanted to see the giant spider come at her, but that would require special effects that did not exist at the time.  Also, the spider isn't real; it's in her mind.  It wouldn't have the same effect on us if we could see it.  It's only terrifying to her, because her reality is different from ours.  Later, a helicopter picks her up and takes her to the hospital.  She has a lot of issues to work out.  I will give this film a 7/10.

No comments:

Post a Comment