THE MAGICIAN is a very good fantasy drama with elements of comedy. A human drama about fates, masks and magic. One traveling magician, together with his companions, comes to a big city. Upon arrival in the city, he becomes the object of ridicule and accusations. The city authorities are trying to expose his tricks. Their efforts end in a farcical climax through love, sexuality, psychology and supernatural phenomena...Mr. Bergman has again managed to re-examine the important questions of life in an imaginary world. The phenomena that we do not understand are sometimes exciting. Mr. Bergman has tried to play with the human mind through human needs and instincts under the strong influence of illusions and transience of life. Emotions and excitement are colliding with tradition and intellect. The director has made a very pleasant deception. Mystery was complemented with games of shadows, mirrors and lightning. Brilliant sound occasionally breaks anxious silence.The dialogues are thoughtful and very provocative. Characterization is, as usual, excellent.Max von Sydow as Albert Emanuel Vogler is a magician, entertainer, a doctor, a charlatan and a crook at the same time. His character was captured by the irony of life and spiritual poverty. This can be read on the actor's face.Ingrid Thulin as Manda Vogler (alias Mr. Aman) is a beautiful and faithful wife of magician. Gunnar Björnstrand as Dr. Vergerus is a very provocative as a skeptical doctor. Åke Fridell as Tubal is a crook with a smile on his face. Bibi Andersson as Sara is a falsely naive girl, who fell in love with one coachman. Naima Wifstrand as Granny Vogler is a wise old witch, who sings a lovely lullaby for good night and sells rat poison at the same time. This is a good combination between the gruesome melodrama and lustful comedy that ends with a general farce.

An outstanding looking, very odd mix of somewhat broad comedy, horror film, and (of course) Bergman's metaphysical musings. A band of traveling magicians, wanted by the law as charlatans, are pulled in for questioning and forced to perform for some upper class non-believers. The 'nothing-in-life is-what-it- seems' theme is strong, but does get repetitive, and at times you can see it coming. Also, on first viewing the elements didn't really feel like they fit together, and I found it a bit of a bumpy ride. The comedy made the dark side hard to take seriously, and the serious, creepy elements made the comedy feel all the more wedged in.That said they are a some amazing sequences that I know will stick with me, and I do feel haunted by the film. Many call it a masterpiece or close, and I'll certainly see it again.

An appropriately mysterious Gothic tale with fascinating characters, who may or may not actually possess certain powers, the material is envisioned well by Ingmar Bergman, with careful attention to lighting design, and the acting is superb. Max Von Sydow is given the most intriguing part to play, and he pulls it off well, but Ingrid Thulin and Naima Wifstrand both deserve mentions for breathing life into their fey characters too. The film is about illusions ultimately, and those who are too critical to suspend their disbelief. It is a bit hard though interpreting exactly what Bergman intended by some of the oddities that he has placed in, such as dispersing poison to a young man. Are these attempts to add humour to the tale? Even with these odd inclusions and rushed ending that is a let down, it is quite a satisfying film overall. The music is great, the acting is excellent, and the interesting characters help make this film one of Bergman's most intriguing pieces.

In 1846, the Albert Emanuel Vogler (Max Von Sydow) and his magnetic health theater is moving in a coach to Stockholm, escaping from the accusation of charlatanism. By the way, they find a very sick drunken man on the road and give a lift to him. The drunk wants to die, to release his spirit from the spoiled body. The man dies along the journey. Near the border, they are forced to present their show to a group of skeptical persons, leaded by the local chief of police, the consul and the scientist Vergérus (Gunnar Björnstrand) and their families. There is a great confrontation between magic and science.This movie has a great performance of the whole cast and a great black and white photography. The story, about reality x illusion, is very attractive. The VHS released by the Brazilian distributor Continental is a shame. It seems to be filmed from an English projection, having black stripes covering the English subtitles and trembling image. Unfortunately, this is the unique option I have in Brazil to possess such a film in my collection. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): 'O Rosto' ('The Face')