Ingmar Bergman dead at 89

[HoodooMan]

IMO, he's up there with Fellini & Kubrick as one of the best filmmakers who's ever lived, and he's far & away the best when it comes to giving high quality leading roles to women.

Three films I'd strongly recommend:

Fanny & Alexander (1982)
Persona (1960)
Wild Strawberries (1957)

[swerb]

Who?

[HoodooMan]

Swerb, I know it would violate your pre-1970 rule & all, but I think there's a chance you'd really like Persona. I think, in a way, it's what David Lynch was shooting for with Muholland Dr.

[swerb]

Swerb, I know it would violate your pre-1970 rule & all, but I think there's a chance you'd really like Persona. I think, in a way, it's what David Lynch was shooting for with Muholland Dr.

Lesbian scene and all?

[HoodooMan]

Lesbian scene and all?

Eh, kinda. But don't get your hopes up. It's hardly explicit.

The, uh, plots(?) of the two films don't match at all, but the dreamlike feel of Persona and the fact that it centers around two women is what makes me think of M-Dr.

[BadBecks]

What about the Naomi Watts masturbation scene? Is there a similar scene in that one? Lives are depending on this!

[HoodooMan]

What about the Naomi Watts masturbation scene? Is there a similar scene in that one?

No, I'm afraid not.

Bad week to be an iconic foreign film director, though. Michelangelo Antonioni now dead at 94. In terms of shear visuals, he's probably second to only Orson Welles, but as a result his stories suffer similiar faults. So if you want to check out somethin' purdy (Monica Vitti aint hard on the eyes either), L'Avventura or L'Eclise might be for you.

[El Topo]

It is a tragic loss...two giants of European cinema, two days apart. Bergman and Antonioni accomplished so much in terms of the language of cinema and making it more of an art form rather than an entertaining experience. They will never be forgotten for that and their work will definently live on for generations to come.

But, with this loss, a question arises: Who is the greatest living director?

[Mr. MacPhisto]

But, with this loss, a question arises: Who is the greatest living director?

Brett Ratner. He's a genius.

[jfiling]

But, with this loss, a question arises: Who is the greatest living director?

Great question. Werner Herzog, Ridley Scott, and Francis Ford Coppola come to mind. James Cameron is like Midas; everything he makes is box-office gold.