Fanny och Alexander (1982)
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A family's joyful Christmas is shattered by tragedy, leading to a move into a home governed by a strict and authoritarian bishop.
The story
In 1907, the well-to-do Ekdahl family lives in a Swedish town, running a moderately profitable theatre. During a lively Christmas celebration, the father, Oscar, suddenly dies from a stroke. His widow, Emilie, soon remarries the local bishop, Edvard Vergérus, a widower who lives in a large home with his mother, sister, and aunt. The children, Alexander and Fanny, are moved into this new household. However, the bishop soon reveals himself to be a strict and controlling authoritarian. The relationship between the bishop and Alexander is especially cold, as Alexander's vivid imagination is severely punished by his new stepfather.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1907, the Ekdahl family enjoys a festive Christmas in their Swedish town, but the joy is cut short by Oscar's sudden death. Emilie remarries the local bishop, Edvard Vergérus, who proves to be a harsh authoritarian who punishes Alexander for his imagination. While Emilie secretly plans to flee with her pregnant belly, Edvard confines the children to their room. Alexander claims to see ghosts of the Vergérus children, who reveal the bishop's culpability in their deaths. The Ekdahl family eventually helps the children escape to Isak Jacobi's store. Emilie eventually manages to escape the bishop's house by drugging him with a sedative; in the ensuing chaos, Edvard's Aunt Elsa accidentally sets the house on fire, killing both her and Edvard. Alexander, who had fantasized about the bishop's death, is visited by Ismael, who explains that fantasy can become true. The family eventually reunites for a christening, where Alexander encounters the ghost of the bishop. The film concludes with Helena and Emilie preparing to perform August Strindberg's A Dream Play together.
- First release year
- 1982
- Runtime (minutes)
- 312
- Production countries
- Sweden; France; West Germany
- Original languages
- Swedish; German
- Directors
- Ingmar Bergman
- Writers
- Ingmar Bergman · writer; Ingmar Bergman · director
- Cast and characters
- Pernilla Allwin · Fanny; Bertil Guve · Alexander; Jan Malmsjö · Edvard; Anna Bergman · Hanna Schwartz; Gunn Wållgren · Helena; Erland Josephson · Isak; Mats Bergman · Aron; Jarl Kulle · Gustav Adolf
- Genres
- period drama
- Themes
- marriage-drama; domestic themes; supernatural; imagination; family conflict; Christianity; Judaism
- Premise and plot tags
- Bildungsroman; semi-autobiographical; fantasy; historical
- Source material / true-story basis
- Semi-autobiographical
- Reception
- The film received universal critical acclaim, being regarded as one of Bergman's finest works and one of the greatest works of Swedish cinema and of all time. It was highly praised for its production design, acting, and emotional depth, though it received some mixed reviews regarding its length and conventionality.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 100% · scale: percent · review count: 46; Metacritic · score: 100 · scale: 100 · review count: 8
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Foreign Language Film · win; FIPRESCI Prize · Venice Film Festival · 1983 · win; French Syndicate of Cinema Critics Award · Best Foreign Film · 1983 · win; Guldbagge Award · Best Film · win
- Production trivia
- The 312-minute cut is one of the longest cinematic films in history.; The production was originally conceived as a television miniseries.; The film was the most costly Swedish film ever.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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