You could say "Winter Light" contains both the best and the worst of Bergman. On the one hand it is magnificently written, directed and acted and its theme of faith, or in this case the lack of it, is indeed profound. On the other, it is so wrapped up in its existentialist angst that it verges on parody, the kind of film Bergman's detractors and, indeed, some of his admirers, (Mr Allen, take note), might take some glee in sending up. I suppose in the end it depends on which side you come down.Taken in the overall scheme of things it is, of course, essential Bergman and possesses an honesty and intelligence most other film- makers can only dream of; perhaps that's why Bergman is so easy to parody. There's a rigor here that almost cries out to be lampooned. Of course, one look at any frame of this picture will tell you that Bergman directed it and that is something you can say of very few other film-makers.

about faith and solitude. about the search of sense and about ambiguity of love. the Bergman's atmosphere. and one of the most interesting performances of Gunnar Bjornstrand. a film about vulnerability and need of the other. about search of the other as answer to the cold circles who defines each character. a film about a long and bitter, cruel and strange fight. hopeless, absurd, who preserves the large themes from the filmography of director but, in the same measure, it represents a different image about the old / new looking for the essence who saves the people. a special film because the fight from the other films by Ingmar Bergman has new nuances. the close - up use, the religious crisis, the impossibility to love in the right manner, the dialogs are new forms of salvation. a film as window to a small part from the viewer's universe.

Sven Nykvist the cameraman and Ingmar Bergman came alone to the main church used in the film Winterlight. Arriving before dawn the two of them stayed till nightfall while Sven Nykvist took hundreds of still photographs of the movement of the daylight throughout the church.For the Christian, God is there always as light - sometimes 'through a glass darkly' (the title of another Bergman film) or in a blaze of glory as when Liv Ullmann prays in the later film, Saraband.Ingmar Bergman says and Sven Nykvist himself says THIS film was his breakthrough as a cameraman - a mystic of light.If you study the light in each frame of this remarkable film - it is alive, a 'character' in the film. The fact that the film is black and white emphasizes and purifies the role of light in the film in a way that color would not.

Marta Lundberg, an atheist local school teacher sits and laments at the church pew because she is deeply in love with a pastor whose faith in God, himself and Marta is dwindling into an existential nothingness. At the point of her absolute utter despair she is confronted by Satan who takes on the appearance of the church organist. This is her Garden of Gethsemane.Welcome to Life on Earth.I found this film mesmerizing. From the very first scene, I was pulled into this melancholic, thought provoking tour de force of art-house cinema. It is deftly directed with such sublime sensibility and intimacy. The realism is extraordinary; few if any other movies I have seen are so authentically delivered. Like many of Bergman's movies, 'Winter Light' challenges us to reflect on our own lives, our very existence, essentially what it means 'to be'. Many reviews remark how it is steeped in connotations of religion, but I found its themes closer resembling aspects of 'Faith'. Not just faith in God, but faith in oneself, faith in one's partner, faith in what it means to be human. For me, it didn't require multiple viewings to fully appreciate this Tower of Movie. I got why Bergman said: "I think I have made just one picture that I really like, and that is Winter Light…Everything is exactly as I wanted to have it, in every second of this picture." – Ingmar Bergman from Ingmar Bergman Directs by John Simon 1972. Despite arriving at this movie without any prior knowledge whatsoever, except that it was Bergman, as the last scene faded to black an awe of respect made me laugh as I stood from the armchair of this Bergman ride from a theme park like no other. To my mind, this isn't a movie, its best described as a vision, a vision so pure and finessed to screen that its almost like walking into someone else's dream, but by the last act you realize it could be more akin to your subconscious, because really this vision has been imparted to you. The plot, multilayered symbolism and striking metaphors to the events of 'The Passion of Christ' and human suffering (Christians and atheists alike) could be discussed at infinite length, but I'll leave that to the 'movielogians' rather than influence the mind set of someone who may intend on watching this movie. Bring all your baggage to this movie and see how it effects you without preconceived notions of the story or plot. If you revel in films that are challenging, thought-provoking and stimulating you might also find yourself living in this movie. See this film.