Emma Gray Munthe
Critic. Former Artistic Director of the Bo Widerberg centered film festival Lilla Filmfestivalen and the Bergman Week
Sweden
Voted for
| Film | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| Häxan | 1922 | Benjamin Christensen |
| BARNVAGNEN | 1963 | Bo Widerberg |
| ÄLSKANDE PAR | 1964 | Mai Zetterling |
| Faces | 1968 | John Cassavetes |
| Skammen | 1968 | Ingmar Bergman |
| Wanda | 1970 | Barbara Loden |
| Mikey and Nicky | 1976 | Elaine May |
| Orlando | 1992 | Sally Potter |
| Buda as sharm foru rikht | 2007 | Hana Makhmalbaf |
| Portrait of a Lady on Fire | 2019 | Céline Sciamma |
Comments
Häxan
One of the most original films that came out of the golden era of Swedish silent film. (And in this case, part Danish.)
BARNVAGNEN
If there was room for more, there would be more Widerberg on the list - but his feature debut was his best film.
ÄLSKANDE PAR
Punk, before there was punk. Pure rebellion!
Faces
Too devastating to watch as often as, say, comedic masterpieces like The Apartment, What's Up, Doc? and The Out-of-Towners - but every time I see Faces it is better and even more devastating than last.
Skammen
Bergman's best, and the film I would recommend to anyone who has the wrong idea about Bergman. A dystopian nightmare, where that last scene on the refugee boat is shocking in its resemblance to current events. And yet, the scene where Max von Sydow is trying to shoot some chickens that Liv Ullmann is trying to hold as far away from her body as possible is one of the funniest things ever done in Swedish film.
Wanda
There still aren't many portraits of women like this one. I wish she had been able to do more films.
Mikey and Nicky
Like all of May's films, Mikey and Nicky is a rough diamond, with glimpses and scenes of pure perfection where her truly personal and unique oddities shine bright.
Orlando
One of the most beautiful end scenes in film history!
Buda as sharm foru rikht
Even more gut-punching today than it was when it premiered.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Watching Portrait of a Lady on Fire is like travelling over the white spots on the map. Here be dragons – and the female experience like it has never been depicted before.
Further remarks
Jeanne Dielman, The Apartment, Cléo, American Honey, Freaks, Melancholia, Secrets and Lies, Bicycle Thieves, The Last Laugh, Mad Max: Fury Road, Dogtooth, Synecdoche, New York, 12 Angry Men, The Conversation, The Red Balloon, Ms. 45, Shoah, Stories We Tell, Buddies, Daughters of the Dust... So much had to be left out, and I would still be dancing a list samba if there wasn't a deadline. But at 6.49 pm, August 6, 2022 this is a list I'm happy with.