Fanny and Alexander
Directed by: Ingmar Bergman
Written by: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Börje Ahlstedt, Pernilla Allwin, Allan Edwall, Ewa Fröling, Bertil Guve

I was faced with a dilemma when I finally sat down to watch Ingmar Bergman’s epic 1982 family drama, Fanny and Alexander. Not unlike his “Scenes From a Marriage”, Criterion’s wonderful blu ray set contains two versions of the film: the 3 hour theatrical cut and the original five and a half hour TV miniseries. Which version do I watch? I’ve always hated being forced to make such choices and now that DVD and blu ray have afforded filmmakers the option to release various director’s cuts and unrated versions, it seem to happen all too often. Luckily, this situation seemed a little more clear cut. Obviously if Bergman shot and released a five hour version, THAT was the complete version. So that’s where I started.

The first hour of the film focuses on Christmas with the Ekdahl family. It’s a prolonged sequence that introduces the numerous characters as we spend time watching as they engage in various traditions and celebratory acts that underline the bonds throughout the family. Within this first act, it’s tough to foresee which character the film will end up focusing on as they’re all equally interesting, but it’s quite obvious that the titular brother and sister, Fanny and Alexander, will hold some importance. This is especially true in the second hour of the film, once their father dies and their Mother, Emilie, ends up remarrying a bishop shortly thereafter. It’s here that the otherwise light tone of the film turns dark as the bishop reveals himself as controlling, jealous and megalomaniacal. Oddly, this whole segment reminded me of seeing The Flowers in the Attic when I was a kid. As the rest of the Ekdahl family worries about the kids, Emilie finds herself growing to hate her new husband and the rigid environment in which he has forced them to live. The bishop denies her request for a divorce and threatens to have her children taken away if she abandons him. From here the family attempts to intervene and free Emilie and the kids from the his rule. While the majority of the film is grounded in reality, Bergman hints at supernatural elements throughout the picture as Alexander is occasionally visited by ghosts, including his own dead Father. This plays heavily into the climax of the film as Alexander seemingly wills his dark fantasies into reality.

While the middle of Fanny and Alexander is weighted down with some heavier, tragic content, the film is bookended with some fairly light and comical sequences that are a lot of fun to watch. I was reminded of Jonathan Demme’s 2008 film Rachel Getting Married, and more recently, Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia. Both films indulge in the particulars of traditional celebrations and the resulting familial drama (or comedy) that ensues. It’s very easy to get vicariously wrapped up in the celebrations, which makes the darker turns much more effective. By the time the family is in crisis mode, we’ve gotten to know them well enough to care about the resolution. This is one of the major arguments for the five hour runtime. It’s literally a matter of using that real estate to build a relationship with the people on screen in order to enhance the impact of the drama. It certainly helps that Fanny and Alexander is a beautifully shot and directed film, making wonderful use of some fantastic art direction and wintery exteriors. My favourite moment of the film sees everybody waking up early Christmas morning to head to church. The townspeople all cary torches and Alexander rides in the back of a horse drawn carriage, his face lit by the yellow flame agains the blue tinted backdrop of the morning sky. It’s an amazing use of natural light and really captures the Christmas morning atmosphere. Considering the film is semi-autobiographical, Bergman is concerned with capturing life through the eyes of a child and he manages to do so with great success. Not unlike Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life, Fanny and Alexander’s sense of nostalgia manages to transcend place and time.

There’s no questioning the beauty of this remastered transfer of Fanny and Alexander. Sven Nykvist’s cinematography is wonderfully represented and the colours within are richer and warmer than previous DVD editions of the film. I will say though, surprisingly there were a couple glitches within the five hour runtime. In the opening, backstage at the Christmas play, there was a single frame horizontal digital tear in the picture. The same thing happened somewhere in the final act of the movie. I’m not sure if this is something that was specific to my disc or not, so I can’t really say if it’s an issue with the transfer. I’ve emailed Criterion to see if this is a problem they’re aware of, but I have yet to hear back. Luckily, it’s only 2 frames within the 5 hour runtime. As for special features, the set includes various interviews, documentaries and a commentary track on the theatrical version of the film. The stand out extra is the feature length documentary The Making of Fanny and Alexander, directed by Bergman himself. It’s a fly on the wall view of the shooting of the movie that might play dry for those not interested in the technical side of filmmaking. — Jay C.

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