PERSONA

Sweden, 1966, 85 minutes, Black and white.
Bibi Andersson, Liv Ullmann, Margaretha Krook, Gunnar Bjornstrand.
Directed by Ingmar Bergman.

Persona is considered one of Ingmar Bergman’s finest films – though that is not difficult because he is the director of so many fine films. Persona came in the mid-1960s after his significant trilogy of the early 60s, Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Lights, The Silence. He then made the light-hearted Now About All These Women (also in colour). In the late 1960s he was to make another trilogy about suffering as well as echoes of war including Shame and The Hour of the Wolf.

Liv Ullmann appeared in a number of films at this period. She is joined by Bibi Andersson and Gunnar Bjornstrand, regular Bergman performers.

The film is a psychological study. Liv Ullmann plays an actress who is in psychiatric care but will not speak. Bibi Andersson plays Alma (the Latin word for soul), her nurse. She begins to confide in the actress – and finds her own personality being submerged in the personality of the actress.

The film explores themes of talk, communication, silence. It is also a study of the psyche, the psyches of the two women and their interrelationship. It is about the interpenetration of personality. With the hospital setting, the film also has echoes of issues about health, mental health. The kinds of conversations and problems also lead to spiritual dimensions, religious dimensions about the presence and the absence of God.

The film is brief, but is a powerful portrait of women and an example of Bergman’s skill in presenting themes of depth in the medium of cinema.

1. The meanings of the title, the mask, the reference and the relationship of acting to life, the person? The psychological overtones of the aspect of the personality through which we present ourselves, truthfully or artificially to others?

2. The film in the preoccupations of Ingmar Bergman? Life, acting and art and reality and life, psychology, suffering, God and his presence and his absence, relationships, war? The interpenetration of personality in relationships?

3. The importance of the cinematic techniques? The opening and the film and poem? the accent on film and the look of film, projector, breaking film, light? The various styles of acting, for instance old comedy? The sheep as the Lamb of God, the hands being nailed? The motif of the boy lying as if dead in hospital? Reading his book? Tracing the face? The recurrence of this theme at the ending? Where did this cinema poem put the audience? the importance of the break of the film in the middle? Its timing? Thematically? The importance of dreams? The glimpses of Elizabeth Vogler and her acting in Electra? The importance of the dream fantasy sequences and the styles for the superimposition of the two women's faces? The editing, the amount of talk instead of visuals, especially in Elma's stories? The technique of repetition, especially in Elma's recounting the story of the birth of Elizabeth's child? The visual presentation of the letter? The emphasis on profiles? The ending? The brevity of the film? What was the overall effect for the audience in terms of identifying, being distanced? Intellectual understanding? Emotional involvement and response to the images?

4. The basic situation of the plot? As explained by the matron to Elma? As explained in the confrontation of Elizabeth by the matron? The matron's playing God, explaining the experience and yet empathising? The relationship of the neurotic state of Elizabeth Vogler with her acting?

5. The character of Elizabeth? As an actress her performance, her laughter, the later explanation? Her going to hospital and withdrawing? Her presence in the ward, her not speaking? An actress with a habit of alertness, understanding emotions, exposing and exhibiting herself? The relationship of acting and life? The possibility of withdrawing and not acting? yet having to react? Such reactions as tearing the photo of her child? The technique of the letter to her husband as revealing her actions without her vocally speaking? The significance of her not speaking, not communicating by speech? The brief times when she did actually speak? towards Elma defending herself from the scalding water? A strong character as Elma explained who has decided to be ill and therefore cam control? How selfish a person?

6. The atmosphere of the hospital - from the boy lying in the hospital during the opening poem, the look of the place, Elma and her attentions, her description of Elizabeth's face? Elizabeth watching the television? The long sequence of her watching the Buddhist burnt alive? Her being horrified by this aspect of real life?

7. The contrast with Elma? Elma as the word for soul? As a nurse, her fears about coping with Elizabeth? Her tenderness towards Elizabeth? Her capacity for giving?

8. The change of mood as they went to the beach house? How important for the audience to know so much because of the explanation to the matron? Sharing their holiday together? Elma's talk, the effect? Elizabeth coming alive, her way of looking at Elma? Elizabeth becoming the therapist for Elma? What did this experience mean for Elma, her need to talk, her ability to talk, her going back over the details of her whole life and the important details, her relationship of love? The importance of the long explanation of the beach sequence, the sensual and sexual experience? The aftermath and their description of the abortion? Her saying, it didn't matter yet her tears? Her hopes? The varying moods as she spoke? The therapeutic effect?

9. The importance of her plea for Elizabeth to speak? Her reaction to the letter and her being hurt, her Wanting Elizabeth to be cut by the glass? The importance of the mood of this sequence with the camera watching from a distance, the breaking of the glass, Elizabeth walking backwards and forwards, Elma leaving the glass there, finally the pain?

10. The credibility of Elma's violent reaction to Elizabeth? Especially after the experience of sharing? The physical and violent reaction? Her chasing Elizabeth along the beach? Her confusion, her anger and yet her love? Her grieving? The threat of scalding her and the vindictive remarks after this?

11. The importance of the night after Elma's communication, Elizabeth's presence, the interchange between the two women? The way this was visualised? Faces, Profiles, superimposed faces? Touch? Words?

12. The transition to the more hospital like behaviour of Elma, again the long description of Elizabeth's hard face?

14. The significance of the husband's visit? His speech, his blindness? The fact that he mistakes Elma for Elizabeth? Elma telling Elizabeth's story truly? The three heads and their patterning? Elizabeth listening and allowing Elma to communicate?

14. The thematic and psychological importance of Elma understanding and empathising with Elizabeth and telling the whole story about her wanting to be a mother, the conception, the bearing of the child and her dislike? The significance of the long repetition and the effect on the audience?

15. Elma's wanting to keep her own identity, her self assertion? Wanting to be herself? Her comments on life, what it is to be an actress?

16. What happened to Elizabeth Vogler throughout the film? Will she breakout of her withdrawal? Her future?

17. Themes of the self, identity, the mask, the real, fantasy? The possibility of one person so united to another? The relationship between psychology and life?