MovieChat Forums > Ansiktet (1959) Discussion > 'Vergerus'

'Vergerus'

posted 18 years ago by cruzlee
8 replies | jump to latest

Did anyone notice the fact that the name Vergerus was also used in Fanny och Alexander for Alexanders' evil adversary? Why is it that this name has Bergman's preference for certain characters? Has it a meaning, or is it just the sound of the name that makes it "evilish"?

*** EDIT
This is name is even more recurrent than I thought. Look:

# Heinz Bennent (Hans Vergerus)
. . . Serpent's Egg, The (1977)

# Gunnar Björnstrand (Dr. Vergerus, Minister of Health)
. . . Ansiktet (1958)

# Staffan Hallerstam (Anders Vergerus)
. . . Beröringen (1971)

# Erland Josephson (Elis Vergerus)
. . . Passion, En (1969)

# Jan Malmsjö (Biskopsgården - Bishop Edvard Vergerus)
. . . Fanny och Alexander (1982)

# Max von Sydow (I) (Andreas Vergerus)
. . . Beröringen (1971)

[–] Lets_talk_about_that 17 years ago

That is interesting. I also noticed that the main character who refuses to speak's name is Vogler, the same name of the main character who refuses to speak in Bergmans' "Persona" (Elisabeth Vogler).

[–] GamblinMike 17 years ago

Vogler is also the last name of the Erland Josephson character in After The Rehearsal.

[–] MisterBix 16 years ago

Maybe they're based on real-life people. Or he just liked the names.

[–] gtf-1 16 years ago

Bergman's frequent use of various names for his characters is something of a field of science in itself. For more on this and a complete (?) list of names that are recycled in several of his movies, visit:

http://www.ingmarbergman.se/universe.asp?guid=BE712230-A9A6-44A4-8960-F5BC7B5E5A43&LanCD=EN

[–] SeisCinemaSeis 14 years ago

Yep, "Vergerus" is a recurrent name in Bergman's filmography. The characters who bears that name are usually cold, heartless and emotionless.
I've read that Bergman based "Vergerus" character on a film critic he despised.

BTW in this case "Vogler" represents, amongst other things, Ingmar Bergman himself. Vogler is Bergman.
The name re-appears in 'Persona', in that movie is played by Gunnar Björnstrand who coincidentally plays "Vergerus" in 'The Magician'.

[–] ghtx 13 years ago

See the bonus feature on the new Criterion disk (the "visual essay").

[–] konam 12 years ago

Yes, and there are people with the surname Egerman too :

Gertrud Fridh ... Ottilia Egerman
Erland Josephson ... Consul Egerman

Which was used on Smiles of a Summer Night, by the main actor.

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- He moves his lips when he reads. What does that tell you about him?

[–] Strausszek 12 years ago

Yep, also Peter Egerman - the main character who commits an enigmatic murder in From the Life of the Marionettes, one of Bergman's darkest films, and a girl - Marianne Egerman, I think - who is mentioned in passing but never seen in one of the last scenes of Fanny and Alexander.

Being from Sweden myself, and educated, I can't recall any well-known real people called Vergérus or Egerman, though they are quite possible as names (they now sound old-fashioned, very 19th century).

You are a lunatic, Sir, and you're going to end up on the Russian front. I have a car waiting.