TheLittleSongbird Review of Music in Darkness

Music in Darkness (1948)

Early Bergman- interesting even if Bergman went on to do better later

[7/10 · 5 February 2013]

I have nothing but love and admiration for Sweden's greatest director Ingmar Bergman, and would see anything with his involvement. Music in Darkness is a very early work of his, if I remember correctly it was one of his first. And it is interesting, but I don't class it up there as among his best. I wouldn't say that anything in Music in Darkness is particularly bad, it's just the matter of what was done here has been done better in his later films. Bergman is no stranger to melodrama, and Music in Darkness is basically that, but I do think his later films show it in a more expansive, less broad way. The characters don't feel bland or indifferent, there is effort to make the lead character not one-sided, but again the characters are rather broadly-defined and somewhat stereotypical, later on merged with Bergman's intelligent way of dealing with complex subjects the characters felt somewhat more real. The acting is good, there is some expression and enthusiasm, though none of the performances are up there with the truly great performances in Bergman's resume. These aside, Bergman does direct as intelligently and disciplinary as usual, and the script does provoke some thought. The score is haunting and fits the melodramatic atmosphere very well. The story is more straightforward than most Bergman films, but it is not dull and is interesting. But the standout here was the cinematography, which is remarkably good for an early film of a truly great director. In conclusion, interesting Bergman film but not quite what I call great. 7/10 Bethany Cox