Bergman's "dialogue partners"

Ingmar Bergman died on July 30. Film Historian Ronald Holloway described him as the most autobiographical of modern filmmakers and one of the great religious filmmakers of the 20th century (Beyond the Image, 1977). Certainly, as the son of a Lutheran minister, his struggles of faith were reflected deeply in his raft of films made during the 1950s and 60s.

Film buff David Erickson has uploaded 11 clips from Bergman's major films you can view here – thanks David.

While my knowledge of Bergman is limited, I’ve found it fascinating to discover the contemplative intensity he brought to the filmmaking process. He described the making of Winter Light as being like performing a solo part by Bach.
“It requires that kind of precision and presence the whole time,” he said in a filmed interview (see Erickson’s page).

Holloway wrote that Bergman sought a dialogue partner for all his important films – someone to toss around the weighty issues being explored, during the production process.

I’m familiar with a script editor during pre-production, but a dialogue partner during the shoot? There’s a role you rarely see in film credits! Not to be confused with a dialogue editor or workshops focussed on actors’ dialogue – this is dialogue for the sake of the director’s own headspace.

In our DIY filmmaking culture, this strikes me as a particularly useful idea, especially when it comes to making films on faith.

Ingmar Bergman will be remembered for his contribution to the art of making films of profound religious significance.