The Cinema of Ingmar Bergman with Professor Thomas Birnie (Bundle)

Ingmar Bergman, Swedish director and screen writer was one of the most influential worldwide film directors of all time, and his works have inspired many other filmmakers, including Woody Allen, whose reverence for Bergman is reflected in his own works.  Bergman’s films evolved in several distinct stages over five decades and reverberate with psychological and philosophical themes that explore the depths of the human psyche. This course will introduce participants to the major films of Ingmar Bergman, beginning with his early productions in the 1950s and culminating half a century later.  Among the themes to be explored and discussed will be personal relationships, faith, identity, despair, alienation and redemption.

Our course will be conducted as a series of informal workshop sessions in which we view, learn about and discuss the works below:

• September 25        Sunday’s Children (1992)
• October 2              A Lesson in Love (1954)
• October 9              The Seventh Seal (1957)
• October 16            Wild Strawberries (1957)
• October 23            Through a Glass Darkly (1961)
• October 30            Winter Light (1963)
• November 6          Ingmar Bergman Makes a Movie (1963), directed by Vilgot Sjöman
• November 13         After the Rehearsal (1984)
• November 20        Saraband (2003)

Note: all films will be shown with English subtitles

About the Instructor

Thomas Birnie holds a Ph.D. in German Literature, with a doctoral minor in Scandinavian Studies, from the University of Washington. He has taught Scandinavian subjects at Portland State University since 1990 and is actively engaged in Nordic events locally.