The Magician

Time after time, Ingmar Bergman unashamedly uses his films to document his own personal experiences. Sometimes they are symbolised by people, objects or events. Sometimes they are more straightforward. In The Magician (or The Face, to translate its Swedish title directly), Bergman throws together a mish-mash of his observations and feelings about people, places and situations, and what emerges is a delightful film, both coherent and authentic in spite of its unusual story line.

Eyebrows are raised when the titular magician, Albert Vogler (Max von Sydow), comes to town accompanied by his curious entourage. A spooky aura surrounds him, courtesy of his unerring silence, eye make-up, and a wig-and-beard combo that barely passes for a disguise. The reputation of his freak show precedes him, and he is cross-examined by a trio of sceptical and authoritarian rationalists, in whose insincere hospitality he proceeds to unleash a variety of confused emotions upon the household.

The tone is amiable and even comic in places. Vogler’s amorous spokesperson Tubal (Åke Fridell) keeps the servants in the kitchen on their toes, as does Vogler’s witty and insightful grandmother (Naima Wifstrand), who claims to be a 200-year-old witch, while Vogler’s wife (Ingrid Thulin) saunters around dressed as a man. The humour doesn’t disallow the exploration of a few themes, of course. Bergman bothers himself with attitudes towards disguise, authority, and the question of whether God exists, but The Magician is spectacular enough without its intellectualism. Indeed, one wonders what point, if any, the film is trying to make.

Nevertheless, this is Bergman at his most entertaining: intelligent, yet unassuming and accessible. The crew was in high spirits during the shoot, and it shows. The usual suspects are all present, giving their all in roles that suit them perfectly. Bibi Andersson is underused, but too impossibly gorgeous for anyone to care. While many films benefit from a little conflict on set, this is a wonderful example of how creative vision can sometimes be delivered to the camera without complication.