The Magician (1959)

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The Magician came out at the high point of the famous and fantastic Swedish director, Ingmar Bergman's career, it came out right after Wild Strawberries and The Seventh Seal and right before The Virgin Spring and his famous "Spider-God" or "God's silence" trilogy. But the magician has not been remembered in the same light as those films, in fact it's been mostly forgotten. The Magician follows Volger's Magnetic Health Theater a traveling performance troupe that is run by Albert Emmanuel Volger. (Played by Max Von Sydow.) Many authority figures are skeptical on whether they should be allowed to perform in public. So they are asked to come perform for Dr. Vergerus (played by Gunnar Björnstrand) and Police Superintendent Starbeck (played by Toivo Pawlo) at the house of the rich merchant Mr. Egerman. So that they can see if the performance is fit for public consumption. After watching the Magician I can see what it is less popular than The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries, it lacks the dark atmosphere and theological complexity of The Seventh Seal, and soft subtle human emotion and melancholy of Wild Strawberries. But even though The Magician lacks the depth of some of his other films, Ingmar Bergman's skill and style are still present. The Magician is mostly restrained to the large estate of Mr. Egerman, which is composed of some of the best sets I've seen in an Ingmar Bergman film, this gives the film a wonderful isolated feel. The film's isolated feel is only magnified when coupled with the film's sense of mystery, which makes for one very entertaining film.I really shouldn't even have to say this, considering it's an Ingmar Bergman film, but the acting is great. A lot of Bergman favorites like Max von Sydow, Gunnar Björnstrand, Ingrid Thulin, and Bibi Anderson all star in the Magician, and they're all as good as ever. Max Von Sydow deserves special praise, his character doesn't even speak until an hour through the film, but everything we need to know about him is told through his pose and facial expressions. His character is one that is filled with a deep sadness, he has clearly lived a difficult life but it know it is finally his chance to prove himself to real professionals. The films cinematography is on par with most Bergman films of the time. The film was shot by Gunnar Fischer, who has done wonders on some of Bergman's past films like The Seventh Seal and Smiles of a Summer Night and does wonders here. He captures the dark halls of Mr. Egermans estate perfectly.Even though I can see why The Magician is not considered as good as some of Ingmar Bergman's other films, it is still criminally under seen. The film is one of they most "comfy," Ingmar Bergman films out there. And sure it may not be as complex or beautiful as some of his other films it is still classic Bergman. And if you're an Ingmar Bergman fan you definitely don't want to pass this film up, but if you're not familiar with Bergman I would suggest checking out some of his more famous films before watching this one.7.9/10

When 'Vogler's Magnetic Health Theater' comes to town, there's bound to be a spectacle. Reading reports of a variety of supernatural disturbances at Vogler's prior performances abroad, the leading townspeople (including the police chief and medical examiner) request that their troupe provide them a sample of their act, before allowing them public audiences.The film was distantly inspired by G. K. Chesterton's play "Magic", which Bergman numbered among his favorites. Bergman staged a theater production of "Magic" in Swedish at one point. Chesterton is an author who needs more love, and if it comes from Bergman, all the better.Although this film is great for its portrayal of science versus the supernatural, what really makes it worthwhile is Bergman's use of color. No one, and I mean no one, mastered black and white like he did, making every film a joy to watch even if the story was not good. (Luckily, his stories are always good.)

With the exception for the abrupt and somehow rushed and unsatisfying ending, "Magician" is a typical (in a good sense of the word) Bergman's film that I liked a lot. I would call it "The Tortured Soul of an Artist or Smiles of a Summer Night meets Hour of the Wolf." I did not know what to expect from the film and was pleasantly surprised by an interesting story; impressive (especially in the earlier scenes in the woods) black and white cinematography; perfect blend of humor, intense drama, and mystery. Acting was perfect - not a big surprise with the cast like that: Max von Sydow, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Björnstrand, Bibi Andersson, and Erland Josephson. I'd like to mention Naima Wifstrand as Granny Vogler - what a great actress and what a character - she stepped out from the pages of the fairy tales, the old witch, wise and powerful; she also provides many comical scenes.7.5/10

a group of people is touring the countryside in a coach. they include a purported magician (max van sydnow), his wife/assistant, an old crone who they refer to as grandmother and who gives an impression of practicing witchcraft and a merry, complacently fat coachman. on the way they encounter a man who is dying of alcoholism, who stirs up some deep feelings in the magician. when they reach a city, the man dies and they fall in the clutches of the city magistrate on account of this and other matters. the elite of the city bands together to watch the magician's magic show. they mock the magician cruelly, accusing him of being a charlatan, a fake. after the show, the magician plays a series of tricks on the parties, which scares the hell out of them, and makes it seem like supernatural forces are present among them. but, in the end, his tricks are revealed and in an astonishing moment, the magician forgetting all his dignity and composure, grovels for a few kronor's (dollars). not getting even a single kronor, they are threatened with jail if they don't get out of town immediately and henceforth continue on their journey. many people do not get this movie, given that the artist/magician is shamed at the end. but that pivotal scene is totally misunderstood...bergmann's movie's work on many levels and that which is presented plainly is often the least plain, much like the magician's magic. the magician/artist is correctly depicted as being unsure of whether he really is an artist or a fake. the conflict within him is part of being a real artist. bergmann's point was that art and magic are similar. illusion is but a feint, a parry in a different direction, while the audience is lured unsuspecting into a bigger trap, which when revealed is devastatingly powerful in what it says about their psyche. the magician's magic is concerned not with tricks but with subtle psychological manipulation. when the extent of his psychological grasp is revealed in the end, he is immediately hated, because he understood his audience better than themselves. their whole mirage of being the superior scientific elite is shattered. about the only complaint one could make about this movie is that the magician is overly tormented. as in other bergman movies, one wonders what is the source of this torment. while it could be explained, it's best to enjoy this additional hue to the wonderful masterpiece, that is this movie, and let it percolate in your psyche. it goes without saying that the performance of the actors was superb, really exemplary. as was the cinematography. you will not see better cinema than this.