the greatest romantic comedy of all time

I agree with your agreement. While I smiled at some points, there were not really any laugh-out-loud moments. Nor was there much romance, when you get down to it. It's all very formulaic, and yet also anticlimactic. It just doesn't work as anything but a mystery, of who is going to pair off with who.

I guess this film strikes me as an achievement because despite being such a failure as a romantic comedy, I did find it engaging enough to give a 7/10.

Bergman is my favorite director, but for some reason I did not see this film until last night, having recorded it from TCM last week. I gave it a 10 out of 10, which is not the rating I have given ALL Bergman movies, heh, but certainly this one deserves it.

The acting, Bergman's ability to obtain the most convincing performances from them, the editing and effect of each shot, is part of what makes him the most masterful of all directors. All that is on full display here. Some of his more regular cast members are here in addition to Ulla Jacobsson and some others, who were also used to great effect. Overall what a great cast!

The story is to some extent one that mixes in a comedy of manners of the upper class members along with the more general romantic comedy elements, but also is interesting for not at all being exclusive in regard to the upper class members. In fact the story line regarding the excellent Harriet Andersson's character is refreshing and, to some extent, a balancing of the rest of the film.

A period piece is both convincing to its time but also not overdone, and the cinmatography is perfect.

Now, as to the comedy itself coming from Bergman with the dour dramatist reputation. Here and there Bergman is perfectly capable of comedy, while htis concededly is his most purely comedic effort. It does not surprise me in short that he was capable of such a film. Beyond that I found the comedy to be quite good, as for example the way Andersson's Petra teased Henrik, and of course the banter between Fredric and Desiree. An unanticipated element was the serious point underlining the over the top "virility" of the Count's character. Who nonetheless seemed to be in on his own, well, comic elements.

Great film, great I finally got to see it.