Our next screening - on Sunday 8 June - is a film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. But before you groan at the prospect of enduring a serious existential tale, let me say this is a comedy. Perhaps Bergman's only out-right comedy. Written in a slough of depression just prior to his most famous Seventh Seal (1957), this charming, light-hearted, delicate and romantic comedy was partly inspired by A Midsummer Night's Dream, winning 3 BAFTA nominations and a Palm d'Or at Cannes, where it was also awarded a prize for Best Poetic Humour. And fifty years later in 2005 Time Magazine could still rank it one of the 100 greatest films since 1923. Indeed, in 2012, it was voted no.20 in the 25 best Swedish films of all time, by a poll of 50 film critics and academics.
Hello all,
Our next screening - on Sunday 8 June - is a film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. But before you groan at the prospect of enduring a serious existential tale, let me say this is a comedy. Perhaps Bergman's only out-right comedy.
Written in a slough of depression just prior to his most famous Seventh Seal (1957), this charming, light-hearted, delicate and romantic comedy was partly inspired by A Midsummer Night's Dream, winning 3 BAFTA nominations and a Palm d'Or at Cannes, where it was also awarded a prize for Best Poetic Humour.
And fifty years later in 2005 Time Magazine could still rank it one of the 100 greatest films since 1923. Indeed, in 2012, it was voted no.20 in the 25 best Swedish films of all time, by a poll of 50 film critics and academics. Smiles of a Summer Night (1956) is a costume drama/comedy without being stuffy. In fact, it may be charming, light-hearted and delicate, but in 1957 its subtitles had to be carefully censored for the British market.
A middle aged lawyer has been married to his 19 year old second wife for two years, but never consummated the marriage. And now his wife and his 20+ year old son (from his first marriage) have the hots for each other! Luckily his son allows himself to be distracted by his flirty housemaid. At least for a while. But into this scenario comes the mature actress, with whom the lawyer had had an affair between marriages ... and it all gets a bit complicated.
The film was submitted to the Cannes film festival without Bergman knowing. He confessed that he only discovered its entry “while I was sitting on the toilet reading a morning newspaper. One of the articles was entitled, Great Victory for Swedish Cinema at Cannes. I thought, what wonderful news! What is the movie?”
More information on the film here.
Classic Film Club @ SouthBank
Monthly Second Sundays: 5.30 for 6.00pm screening.
SouthBank Arts Cafe and Bar,
Dean Lane, Southville, Bristol.
Guest Membership £3
https://normantaylordotorg.wordpress.com/2025/05/24/smiles-of-a-summer-night-1955/
