The Magician (1958)

The three films that Ingmar Bergman produced at the close of the 1950s – <i>Det sjunde inseglet</i>, <i>Smultronstället</i> and <i>Jungfrukällen</i> – tower so high in his output that one might forget that these were not his only productions of the era. <i>Ansiktet</i> ("The Face", released in English-speaking markets as <i>The Magician</i>) from 1958 is one of his lesser-known films. In mid-19th century Sweden the magician Albert Emanuel Vogler (Max van Sydow) goes from town to town promising people cures for their ailments and performing magic tricks, including what was the sensation of the time, hypnosis. He is joined by his tout (Aake Fridell), his "ward" Mr. Aman (Ingrid Thulin) and his "grandmother" and the troupe's maker of patent medicine (Naima Wifstrand). After fleeing the law after a performance in one town, they pass through the forest and enter another community. Here they are detained by the authorities, so that the physician Vergerus (Gunnar Bjornstrand), the consul Egerman (Erland Josephson) can decide a wager on whether Vogler's tricks are real spiritual powers or scientifically explainable illusions. While <i>Ansiktet</i> should not be overlooked for fans of Bergman, I think it is fair that the film is not ranked among Bergman's greatest achievements. Characterization is pretty slim – we get no idea of why Vogler and his companion chose this life, and Vergerus is so shallow that Gunnar Bjornstrand seems wasted. And had the film ended three minutes earlier it would have been one of Bergman's more powerful conclusions, but instead we get a completely unexpected happy ending that just seems lame. Much of the middle part of the film depends on sex jokes that are funny at times, but I suspect anyone who knows Bergman's great output will continuously be thinking that he's capable of so much more than this. Still, <i>Ansiktet</i> does have a generally thought-provoking dramatic arc, and some moments will prove memorable. I especially admired the battle between Vergerus and Vogler and the magician's breakdown (funny how his temperment appropriately changes with his clothes in this scene).