Ingmar Bergman has left a reputation as one of the premier cynics of the cinema. A lifelong agnostic, he always held the belief that God did not exist and this life offers little, if any condolences to counter that feeling.After experimenting with various genres and trying to find his niche in the late 1940s, Bergman slowly began to establish himself as the finest Swedish film director ever known. This film, released in 1953, reminds me in many ways of the great Federico Fellini's 1954 film La Strada, also about a circus troupe and also focusing on the relationship between the aging circus leader and his female companion. Despite this common ground, the two great directors differ in that Fellini turns his attention to the joy and zest of performing and the difficulties that still lie within. With Bergman, troubles always abound and there is no shortage of sadness and sorrow. Indeed, none of these characters are truly happy in the way of the definition. Yet, they continuously search for some sort of satisfaction and happiness. Life is a long, sluggish journey that may never find its ultimate goal.Despite the downbeat tone, Bergman was a fantastic cameraman and his early films show him finding his footing, foreshadowing the great films he would make later in his career. Here, his collaboration with the great cinematographer Sven Nykvist has its beginnings as we see some fantastic angles, mirror shots and uses of depth of focus and framing. The acting is terrific, particularly by Harriet Andersson, and the script supports the story well. A small gem, but nevertheless a gem from the great Swedish director Ingmar Bergman.

Ingmar Bergman's Sawdust and Tinsel is a strong and powerful film. Focusing on characters this film explores the emotions of sorrow, hopelessness, and despair. The story concerns the members of a traveling circus that have fallen on hard times. Police, Soldiers, and an Acting Troupe provide supporting story and conflict. A strong character development follows each of the individuals portrayed. The film's climax will move audiences and provoke thought on man's capability of reason. Highly recommended for fans of The Seventh Seal, Fanny and Alexander, The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser and admirers of Ingmar Bergman and/or Werner Herzog.

Sawdust and Tinsel (1953) *** 1/2 (out of 4)A circus troupe arrives in a small town where the owner (Ake Gronberg) plans on visiting his family who he hasn't seen in three years. This sets his mistress (Harriet Andersson) into a jealous fit and she runs to a local theatre group where an actor offers her a priceless necklace in exchange for sex. This here is without question the best of the early Bergman films I've seen and I think it's the first to show the masterful director at full force. Like a lot of Bergman pictures, this film really isn't about anything yet it's about everything to the people involved. The way Bergman could settle on small characters and shine a light on their personal issues has always been one of the director's strong points and he does the story justice here. The film is mainly about jealousy and what it can lead to and Bergman creates a very moody and at times depressing look at the subject. The film is very, very dark and comes off like a bad dream that mixes fantasy with reality. Another strong point is an opening sequence where we hear the story of a clown who loses his mind when he catches his wife swimming naked with some soldiers. This sequence is filmed completely different than the rest of the film and the lightness of this segment really brings you into a different type of movie. The performances are all incredibly strong with Gronberg stealing the show as the circus owner who slowly loses his mind over a matter of hours. The actor goes through a breakdown towards the end of the film and this comes off very realistic and is at times painful to watch. Andersson is her typical brilliant self and really sells the loneliness and confession of her young character. The scene with her and the actor is charged with some dark sexuality, which just shows what a master Bergman was. The cinematography Hilding Bladh and Sven Nykvist is remarkable as is the music score by Karl-Birger Blomdahl.

I first, and probably, last saw this wonderful film over 40 years ago. It has not been easy to catch again and then I think that when the time since you have last seen a favourite gets too long you begin to have concerns as to whether it will live up to your memory of it. There was particular concern here because, although in the 60s and 70s I would bore people by going on about this film whenever talk of Bergman's more well thought of films came up, this was never considered to be one of his best. Having just watched it again I am blown away all over again. I cannot believe how much of the fantastic visuals I remembered and the extent to which the power of the film is still so affecting. There is not a wasted frame, this is pure cinema throughout. The acting is stupendous, the cinematography outstanding and the bitter sweet tale so seemingly simple, yet so devastatingly all consuming. I know Bergman has made more poetic films and more profound ones but I still think this one is hard to beat for so eloquently presenting those basic issues that matter to everyone.