MovieChat Forums > Såsom i en spegel (1961) Discussion > Hemingway?

Hemingway?

posted 17 years ago by tuckerma-1
5 replies | jump to latest

Hemingway is mentioned in the opening portion of the film, and there seems to be a couple of parallels between his life and Karin's, as he was treated with electroshock therapy which, he claimed, ultimately led to his mental collapse. Perhaps this is just a coincidence, but did anyone else pick up on this, or make anything of it? The film came out the same year of Hemingway's suicide, but I don't know the exact timing. Also, anybody have any comments on the Hemingway reference (something like, "if hemingway can do it, so can we")? Seems a little ironic to me, given the nature of the characters...

[–] TheSharkThatAteHartCrane 17 years ago

Nice shot, but I reckon it's simply because the father was also a writer, and the whole 'putting out the nets' thing was just suggested as being as macho as fellow-writer Hemingway.

[–] miovan 17 years ago

Or it is a deeper parallel, as often with Bergman. Bergman is by this time quite famous and he has had problems in his personal life as well in his career. I think it can be a remark on how far an artist is ready to go for his work and what happens when you can't create your work any more. Karin's father almost ended his life, Hemingway did end it. I think the parallel goes deeper then you think at first glance.

[–] HenryJFlower 16 years ago

Just watched this film recently... Wow!

Maybe this reference to Hemingway (which came in a jestful comparison to the "father") could alert the audience of the emotional distance between the father and his children, especially with men. If you remember, Minus's main problem through the film is that he felt very distant from his father. Though the father does come off as cold, he expresses his love for his family only to his son in law.

The father represents an ultra masculine figure, which is so common in Hemingway's literarute and in his own personal life.

A very broad answer for a very specific question...

Any other thoughts...?

[–] mothboy88 16 years ago

like someone else mentioned- the father tried to kill himself, like Hemingway.

I think part of the problem is the way the artist (the best of them, at least) has to face all the dark aspects of life and experience. Like Werner Herzog said "The poet cannot look away." Hemingway was a great artist, and a common theme throughout his writing is the nihilism of life. The answer to this nihilism is to live in spite of, and even out of spite for the lack of meaning in life. It becomes a fight against the desire to just get the whole thing over with and commit suicide. I think the struggle drove Hemingway over the edge and he couldn't fight anymore, may he rest in peace, he put up one of the best battles of mankind.

The father, (David?) had to face these truths, "reality burst open" for him, and almost ended things himself. But then he discovered his deep love for his family, and it saved him.

Karin lost her control over reality a long time ago. She's an example of what can happen to anybody, who isn't careful- "If you tilt your head and stare at it long enough, it starts to look creepy."

Minus came face to face with his potential insanity in the boat. He realized that "anything could happen"- if his mind strayed too far, a spider god could crawl out of the shadows and destroy him.

So his father reveals the one thing that people have to hold onto- love. This is the struggle many of us are going to have to face at some point in our lives. And Bergman has the answer.

I have been going through this exact conflict over the last few months. And when I saw this movie, it helped me fully and it healed me. I truly love Bergman with all my heart.

[–] Kammurabi 14 years ago

I have to agree with these comments mothboy, particularly the last one. Through a Glass Darkly and The Silence have both helped me a great deal personally. There is a very short list of people who I've never met, but have still made my life better and Bergman is on that list.

Although it could be argued that, with a rare few such as Bergman, we do personally know them to a certain extent after watching their films.

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