ATLRetro

INGRID BERGMAN: IN HER OWN WORDS (2015); DIR. Stig Bjorkman; Documentary; Opens Fri. Feb. 12; Landmark Midtown Arts Cinema; Trailer here.

By Claudia Dafrico
Contributing Writer

INGRID BERGMAN: IN HER OWN WORDS, the latest film from director Stig Bjorkman, gives us a chance to see the life of famed Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman though her eyes and the eyes of those who knew her best: her children. Her story is one of constant change and adventure, with just a tinge of melancholy hidden beneath the surface.When looking back at the “Golden Age” of Hollywood, it is all too easy to pass judgement upon those that were once ensnared in scandal. Infidelity, secret pregnancies and hidden sexualities seemed to plague every star at the time, from big names to up and comers. But it is rare to have an opportunity to see things from the star’s perspective, as opposed to judging their actions at face value. Bjorkman creates a film that shows how multifaceted Bergman really was and succeeds greatly in that endeavor.

INGRID BERGMAN: IN HER OWN WORDS is mostly comprised of a narrator reading aloud Bergman’s personal diaries and letters she wrote to her friends, lovers, and children, along with interviews with her children and archived footage of Bergman in and out of character. The mesmerizing voice of the narrator brings Ingrid’s emotions to life, from the sorrow of losing her father as a child to the joys of doing what she loved most: acting, both on the stage and the screen. Choice bits from some of Bergman’s most beloved films, including CASABLANCA (1942; Ed. Note: also playing this weekend, Sat. Feb. 13, at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre in Marietta; tickets here.), JOAN OF ARC (1948) and STROMBOLI (1950), are shown intermittently, and her innate charm and natural grace can be seen even now, over half a century later. While Bergman has long since passed away, these glimpses of her career bring her talent back to life, as if though she had never left us.

Ingrid Bergman with her children Roberto, Isabella, and Ingrid Rossellini. Photographer Unknown. Courtesy: Rialto Pictures/Mantaray Film/Wesleyan Cinema Archives

While Bergman, a three-time Oscar winner, will always be remembered for her contributions to the world of film, she has yet to shake the scandal that defined a large part of her career. After writing a letter to Italian neo-realist director Roberto Rossellini describing how much she would enjoy acting for him, the two met and formed both a professional and romantic relationship. Bergman, however, was still married to her Swedish husband with whom she had a child. Bergman went on to secure a divorce and give birth to Rossellini’s son, and the American public took it upon themselves to condemn her actions. Ingrid was cast out of Hollywood for her supposed lack of morals, and some argue that her career never really recovered after that point. The couple went on to have a set of twins before, ironically enough, Rossellini left her in the late 1950s to be with another woman.

Ingrid Bergman. Photo: Harry Ransom Center. Courtesy of Rialto Pictures.

One of the most interesting aspects of INGRID BERGMAN: IN HER OWN WORDS is the personal accounts given by Bergman’s children, the most well-known of whom is actress and model Isabella Rossellini of BLUE VELVET (1986) fame. Each of Bergman’s four biological children is given a chance to speak about their relationship with their mother, and how her constant comings and goings throughout their childhood affected each of them on an individual level. It is fascinating to hear Bergman herself in old interviews say that she spent as much time as she possibly could with her children, but then hearing from the children themselves that what she claimed was not often the case. While there is no denying that Ingrid was a loving and fun mother, her children themselves remark how she was moreso a peer to them than a maternal figure.

Ms. Bergman may be a figure of the past at this point in time, but thanks to the efforts of directors such as Bjorkman, viewers of all generations are able to get a glimpse into the life of a truly extraordinary woman. Bergman herself never claimed to be anything more than human, and this film takes great pains to remind us all that even the brightest stars are just as complicated as you and me.