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IN YOUR SHADOW RESEARCH
https://cinephiliabeyond.org/persona-ingmar-bergmans-psychological-masterpiece-white-whale-critical-analysis/ http://www.dazeddigital.com/film-tv/article/38844/1/how-persona-reimagined-mental-illness-in-the-movies https://brightlightsfilm.com/a-mindscape-of-mirrors-persona-and-the-cinema-of-self-perception/#.XFtD4tHgpBw Written and directed by Swedish experimental filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, Persona (1966) is a highly atmospheric and complex study of identity that refuses to conform to the tried and tested cinematic standards of narrative and thematic cohesiveness. When famed actress Elisabet Vogler (Liv Ullmann) suddenly stops speaking during a stage performance, a young nurse, Alma (Bibi Andersson), is assigned to care for her. Convalescing at an isolated cottage, Alma begins to confide in her mute patient, while finding it increasingly difficult to distinguish her own persona from that of Elisabet’s. While several key themes are clearly inherent in the quietly chilling narrative of persona, the ambiguous tapestry in which they weave together is very much open to individual interpretation. The word persona translates from Latin to English as “mask”, and as such, the two protagonists can be read as a portrayal of both the way we view our self’s as individuals and the masks that we hide behind when we present ourselves to others. Such thinking is valid when we consider that Elisabet stopped communicating verbally while acting in front of a crowd of cinema goers. This would suggest that Elisabet’s status as an actor represents the mask that we portray to people in our day to day life’s, literally playing a part on our own stage as we engage with other personalities. Elisabet has publicly rejected her mask as a performer on the stage of life and now seeks to acquire a new persona in the form of the overly forthcoming and entrusting Alma, consuming the intimate details that her silence has brought forth from her. A theme of duality is very much evident in this reading, with no solid answer provided come the end of the film as to if Alma and Elisabet are indeed two sides of the same personality. This is the power of the ambiguity that lies at the heart of the narrative choices of Persona. Bergman is wholly willing to surrender the surface value of established cinematic story telling to explore a more deeper, rich tapestry of honest human emotion that is as intangible and fleeting as the depths of the human psyche. The theme of duality extends to the cinematography by frequent Bergman collaborator Sven Nykvist. Scenes alternate between the harsh, enveloping shadows of low key lighting and the smooth, hazy softness of high key lighting, reflecting the silence and vocalisation of the protagonist’s duplexity. The framing of the individual shots captures Alma and Elisabet in exquisitely composed two shots, favouring close ups that capture every detail of the emotions that the actress’s eyes and facial expressions authentically convey. Such closeness, when combined with the stillness of the blocking, effortlessly implies an internal intimacy, as if the two woman are somehow sharing the same psychological head space. Inspired by the carefully considered cinematography of Persona, Mathew’s encounters with the Shadow will be captured in two shots that will visually suggest that her presence is a physical representation of Mathew’s repressed desire. This will continue the experimentation with the intimacy of two shots that I felt was very successful when shooting the teaser. REFERENCE LIST Persona (1966) Directed by Ingmar Bergman [Film]. Sweden: Svensk Filmindustri.
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AuthorMy name is Clay Sandford and I am currently studying an FDA in Film and Media Production at University Centre Weston. I have a keen interest in directing, writing and cinematography. ArchivesCategories |