While watching this film, I couldn't help but notice the great similarity with Woody Allen's "Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy." Though Allen's film was ostensibly based on Shakespeare, the setting and tone struck me as being almost directly drawn from the Bergman film. I'd be curious to know if anyone else had that same feeling.
shareHi fellow Bergman/Allen viewer! Yes, very much so, and I think that Allen himself has acknowledged the relationship. See for example Allen's interview about Bergman on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npHqAO3hj54
I had the exact same thought when I watched "Smiles of a Summer Night" tonight. The coupling and un-coupling all within the same place had me thinking that. Of course you can say that Allen has done the same theme in films such as "Husbands and Wives" and even "Mighty Aphrodite", but AMSNSC was also set during a summer period on a country estate.
The dialogues in SOASN are so witty and spontaneous that it was hard for me to keep up with the facial expressions of the characters.
Eva Dahlbeck is a cross between jazz singer Peggy Lee and soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Either that or I have been addicted to jazz vocals and opera.
woody Allen very pointedly stated this is one of his less favorite Bergman films but i don't believe him. His movie is just too close to Bergman's to deny.
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