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 ... Read more

I thought there was something of the slightly menacing John Carradine in Max Von Sydow's performance here, as the eponymous purveyor of bafflement. His troupe arrive in a forewarned small Swedish town that is full of scepticism about the wares and skills of the "Vogler" enterprise. MVS is the master ... Read more