I saw the 3 hour version of this film for class, and I must say I adored it! I really need to find the 5 hour dvd either decently priced or on netflix.
But, that isn't what I wanted to talk about!
I noticed that the character of Ismael was played by a woman almost immediately when he came onscreen. Is there a reason for this does anyone know? Or was it just a casting/directorial decision? It made me quite curious, but I don't know if anyone will even know the answer!
Thoughts?
I thought having Ismael played by a woman really ratcheted up the creepiness of the scene. It threw me as a viewer-- is that...? He looks like a...?-- but enthralled me as well. It was such an effective way of immediately adding an unsettling, or even menacing, aspect of "not right"-ness to the scene.
I thought it was just an excellent casting decision. Ismael only appears for maybe 5 minutes, but his character is so haunting!
And I did interpret what he did to Alexander as rape. Look at how Ismael's brother (?) bows his head as if ashamed when he leaves Alexander in the room... But definitely both interpretations are valid.
Beyond good and evil. Beyond man and woman. Only the primal truth and desire of the human being, in all its beauty and ugliness, remains.
And the primal is deep inside of all us. Ismael has no pretense, he is the holy fool unmasked who unlocks the primal powers in Alexander, and the consequences must be suffered for this. In this moment, as his most primordial desires finally are joined with his "real" life, Alexander becomes an artist.
David Bowie would have made an incredible Ismael. Better, Tilda Swinton.
Agree on Swinton (of course Bowie would have been nice to see too, though it's um, too "small" a part for him). But Stina Ekblad is a great actress too and she is superb here. Her native Fenno-Swedish accent gives it an added quality, too. It sounds both cuddling, beckoning, solemn and a bit scary - the peculiar melody of his/her dialect which is typical of that kind of "overseas Swedish" (and so different from Aron and Isak) make the character stand out and blend with the dangerous force.
Mr.Hitler has made life very difficult for Shakespearian companies.
I immediately thought it WAS Bowie..!
Cold sober, I find myself absolutely fascinating.
My mother, who doesn't know a lot about Bowie except through pics in the media, spotted the likeness too. I'm sure Bergman would have found Bowie fascinating to work with as well.
You are a lunatic, Sir, and you're going to end up on the Russian front. I have a car waiting.
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Nice post AtGTR aka TemporaryOne. The Shakespeare connections are very apt because I was reminded of his work, amongst others, throughout the film.
A bird sings and the mountain's silence deepens.share
Agree, fantastic post AlongTheGreatToneRiver. Love how Bergman packs so much in to a what? five minute scene.
shareNetflix was around in 2005? .. didn't know.
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