Six stars. Some directors explode out of the gates
(Welles, for instance). Bergman did not. Crisis has some great nuggets, that
presage the brilliance to come. But it's a mediocre film. I think the
audience is supposed to view Ingeborg and Ulf as protagonists. But they are
both selfish and witless. For that matter, so are Nelly, Jack, and Jenny. And
the message is? The city is dangerous? Don't dream big? Just stay in your
hick town and marry who ever is most available? I basically hated the story.
That said, there was a LOT of good acting, and a lot of good camera work. But, like all the Bergman I've seen that's earlier than Summer Interlude, it seems like a parody of a mature Bergman film. I'm going to end on an upbeat though, extolling those breathtaking noir shots at the climax. This was the starting point of a brilliant career. It's not a brilliant movie, but it's not a bad starting point either. 6 June 2022.
That said, there was a LOT of good acting, and a lot of good camera work. But, like all the Bergman I've seen that's earlier than Summer Interlude, it seems like a parody of a mature Bergman film. I'm going to end on an upbeat though, extolling those breathtaking noir shots at the climax. This was the starting point of a brilliant career. It's not a brilliant movie, but it's not a bad starting point either. 6 June 2022.