SUNDAY'S CHILDREN
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Rating (0 to 10): 8.4
Date Released: varies Running Length: 2:00 Rated: No MPAA Rating (Mature themes, nudity)
Starring: Thommy Berggren, Henrik Linnros, Lena Endre, Jakob Leygraf,
Malin Ek
Director: Daniel Bergman
Producer: Katinka Farago
Screenplay: Ingmar Bergman
Cinematography: Tony Forsberg
Released by First Run Features
In Swedish with subtitles
In more ways than one, SUNDAY'S CHILDREN is about fathers and sons. Written by Ingmar Bergman and directed by his youngest son Daniel, the film depicts Bergman's own childhood and his volatile relationship with his father Henrik. Here, the names of the past generation have been changed, but the story that remains is heavily autobiographical, and forms a trilogy with the elder Bergman's final directorial effort, FANNY AND ALEXANDER and Billy August's searing and powerful version of Bergman's screenplay, THE BEST INTENTIONS.
Most of SUNDAY'S CHILDREN takes place in the 1920s and centers around the disintegration of the family of young Pu (Henrik Linnros). His father Erik (Thommy Berggren) and mother Karin (Lena Endre) are at a crossroads in their marriage--she wants a separation; he won't hear of it. Pu's nearly-worshipful attitude towards his father leads Erik to suggest that his son accompany him on a day-long journey to a distant parish where Erik is to preach a Sunday sermon. Pu agrees and, on the way, experiences something that will soon become a painfully recurring reality in his relationship with his father--violent, explosive anger that leads to physical abuse.
Erik Bergman is SUNDAY'S CHILDREN's representation of Henrik Bergman. Karin is Ingmar's mother Anna, and Pu is explicitly revealed to be the author. Despite name and actor changes, this is an excellent followup to THE BEST INTENTIONS (which told the story of Henrik and Anna's courtship and the early years of their marriage). The material is not as potent, but the continuation of the story arc is unmistakable.
There are four flash-forwards. These take place in 1968, and show a middle-aged Ingmar interacting with his dying father. The scenes are crucial to the plot, placing the main story in perspective and giving emotional resonance to the 1920s sequences. Knowing the eventual, tragic path taken by the father/son relationship adds poignancy to the presentation of circumstances before everything went wrong. Aside from the one instance of abuse, the ugliness that was to mark Ingmar's lifelong war with his father had not yet begun. And because we see Erik as such a caring, sympathetic figure, it hurts to recognize what he will become.
Like most films scripted by Ingmar Bergman, SUNDAY'S CHILDREN moves slowly, with the emotional and psychological pressures constantly building. This is not a movie for those who are unwilling to sit and gradually become immersed in the unspectacular lives of a group of characters.
While not surpassing his father, Director Daniel Bergman has managed to make the material his own by crafting a first-rate film. He is aided by a superlative cast which includes one of the most natural under-ten actors to grace the screen in years (Henrik Linnros). The credibility of the film is linked inextricably to Pu, and young Linnros makes his character consistently believable.
There are numerous parallels between SUNDAY'S CHILDREN and another currently-available Swedish film, THE SLINGSHOT. Both take place in the 1920s and are told from the point-of-view of a young boy. As good as THE SLINGSHOT is, however, it lacks a portion of the depth that forms the foundation of SUNDAY'S CHILDREN. Each film is worth seeing in its own right, and various comparisons and contrasts will leap to mind, but SUNDAY'S CHILDREN is the stronger of the two. Ingmar Bergman's days behind the camera may be over, but he apparently still has a worthwhile story or two left to tell.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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