Autumn Sonata (Hostsonaten) 1978 - (Ingrid Bergman, Liv Ullmann & Halvar Björk)

After having neglected her children for many years, world famous pianist Charlotte visits her daughter Eva in her home.

[@h.a.b.arguille1896]

As long as I live, I will never forget Liv Ullmann’s expression in this scene

[@charlesfosterkane1966]

Ulman and Ingrid Bergman's faces tell the story. Amazing scene.

[@patricedecourcy4505]

I watched this scene when I was 10. 40 years later I still think this is one of the best movie scenes ever made.

[@Jason66HH2]

The face of Ingrid Bergman while Liv Ullmann plays the sonata is brilliant acting at the highest level. So many facets, very subtle, only hinted at in nuances; regret, quiet horror, fright, compassion, pride, disappointment, love, disgust, despair, sadness, brief joy - everything changes in a few moments. What actress has ever been able to do that? Film history!

[@TedJohnson85]

Disgust is the right word here. It is amazing how Ingrid Bergman shows all those expression in a thirty second close up, she wants to love her daughter but is kind of disgusted her daughter can't play the piece very well. Your description of this hits the nail on the head. My Swedish language teacher in college once told me that this scene was very mean-spirited from a Scandinavian point of view. When Liv Ullman asks "Did you like it" and Bergman replies "I like you" and then goes into this psychoanalysis of Chopins piece at a level only a few people could ever comprehend, instead of just telling her daughter, "I liked it, but can I show you my interpretation of it" without the dismissive commentary afterward. All this plays into Ingrid Bergman's character as essentially a person who can't show just a glimmer of love, because she is feeling deep down inside guilty for not helping her daughters, and thus she has become a cold person on the inside. Anyway...I love this scene and your description of Bergman's facial expression is spot on!

[@Jason66HH2]

@@TedJohnson85 Thank you for your comment. I didn't know that Ingrid Bergman treated her daughters like that. I must have watched this film five or six times and every time you discover something new. It is a total masterpiece

[@shahriyarmhm3424]

Well said my friend, well said... True real actresses and artists. The whole frame broadcasts a masterpiece out of it 😌

[@stickynote18]

Maybe on Betty Draper eating turkey stuffing in Mad Men while she's on weight watchers

[@jmiller05]

Bergman's incredible eyes say so much throughout this scene.

[@missdee4927]

Liv Ullmann has the most expressive face in cinema history

[@floris.927]

Let it be a reminder that subtlety is everything.

[@jmiller05]

Everything.

[@nadajejejeje5419]

This scense make me cry

[@johndoll1511]

Liv Ullman is incredible.

[@mihaicovacs4625]

Outstanding movie - talented actresses.

[@ozgesolmaz752]

The piece is called Prelude Op. 28 No. 2 in a minor

[@alexanderprives4509]

Dur ? Kann Dur so traurig klingen ?

[@ozgesolmaz752]

@@alexanderprives4509 english my dude

[@michaeltekulsky5665]

There’s the whole movie in a nutshell. I love Liv ulman’s expression. Like who is this person next to me and how can she be so great.

[@jacobmorris3664]

Liv holds the tension between resentment and longing, giving them the upper hand in unpredictable alternation.

[@michaeltekulsky5665]

@@jacobmorris3664 👏👏👏👏

[@giovanna722]

@@jacobmorris3664 Well said.

[@user-xm1et7cz2o]

I love this comment thread. So much love. And well phrased descriptions.

[@ethannielson942]

This is simply a Master Class in great acting.

[@shahriyarmhm3424]

i can see this scene 100 times and again play it 101st time because it is... WOW!!! RESPECT FOR BERGMAN, AND BERGMAN AND ULLMANN & OF COURSE CHOPIN...

[@priyac7054]

IT'S UNBELIEVABLE. THIS SCENE IS UNBELIEVABLE :") Liv Ullman will shake the whole world without saying a thing

[@alexvazmelo8212]

Cena maravilhosa! Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullman, The best actrices du monde!!

[@ricci1729]

sublime...

[@ginadelpilarn.torres3064]

Una de las mejores escenas del cine todo un clásico!!!

[@onuryldz2865]

I expected her to play “as time goes by” when Ingred Bergman wanted her to play a song:))

[@trancosomarcus]

Best scene

[@user-oe1vr9ti6r]

If I were her mother, I would say thus. "It was marvelous piano performance. And I could sufficiently feel Chopin's grief from the piano performance of you. If you take care of the usage of your left hand a little bit, this prelude would be more excellent and deeper."

[@starwood213]

Majestic acting.

Uma aula de atuação!... Inesquecível.

[@RenanCMaia]

Amazing music! Amazing scene!

[@jonkolenchak7745]

When Ingrid lays down that music rack, the war between mother and daughter begins.

[@Celisar1]

There is no war. There is hurt and longing for love from one side and disappointment of the other side who focuses all her passion on music instead of her child.

[@voraciousreader3341]

I think that when the rack goes down, so does the barrier between them. Bergman’s character could have responded to Ullmann’s request with insensitivity and hurt, defensiveness, too….but she doesn’t. She decides to speak to Ullmann as an experienced pianist to an inexperienced pianist, who also happens to be her daughter. She opens her heart to her, and lowers the music rack. That’s my interpretation.

[@user-kc5oi8wh8g]

I actually liked Liv Ullmann’s playing(or the person who played for her).

[@alanmccarthy2285]

GIANMARCO GROPPELLI: MOVIES REVIEWER-POET-WRITER-NOVELIST. GREAT MOVIE TO VIEW. BERGMAN STRIKE AGAIN 🎬 MASTERPIECE. G.G ♤♤♤♤♤

[@user-oj9dz9hd5f]

❤

[@user-pt7ip2yz9d]

LU is doing a whole universe of Freudian arrested emotional development. It's like she's been stuck for decades in some childhood fear of separation incident. And IB as mommy dearest is chivying her to keep it all under the rug. Evelyn Waugh said we're much better at describing hell than heaven. At least Bergman was.

[@user-xm1et7cz2o]

Ingrid or Ingmar? (your last sentence) I'm only asking because Ingrid's performance in this scene is such a horribly beautiful depiction of hellish torment.

[@user-pt7ip2yz9d]

@@user-xm1et7cz2o The director, Ingmar.

[@user-xm1et7cz2o]

@@user-pt7ip2yz9d I'm just so very curious to know what the direction looked like for this scene. How much is Ingrid and how much is Ingmar. Knowing something about Ingrid's, not awfully close, relationship with her own children gives the performance added depth and complexity.

[@user-pt7ip2yz9d]

@@user-xm1et7cz2o Ingrid said in a Dick Cavett interview that for this scene Ingmar told her to imagine a time from her daughter's childhood such as a toddler coming towards Mama. I disagree though. IMHO, the mother is in deep denial and cannot, will not admit she was a bad mother. The rest of the film is daughter Liv tearing into her, but then her mother rejecting and in deep denial. I've had first-hand experience, and such parents will always try to justify their past actions by bringing up the children's faults. IMHO, in this scene Mama Ingrid is expressing a sort of revulsion at how moronic her daughter is (not dissimilar to the mentally retarded sister) and how she had no choice but to leave the situation. Such people can't face the truth and the huge mountain of regret they must face. And yes, it eventually erodes them mentally.

[@erzsebetszabo9635]

A szem a lélek tükre.

[@danielanonymous1737]

I would like to imbed this video on my blog with full links to you and your video just to comment on the performances of the actresses, but it says: "playback of this video on other sites has been disabled". Is that intentional?

[@eriscarmodossantosdefranca5528]

Que pena que eu NÃO entendo sueco

[@PerAllwin1963]

Look at the small, very slight head-shake Ingrid Bergman gives at 1:50 to 1:56. Just that shows her disappointment in her daughter. Almost a reproach.

[@ospreybird]

:-)

[@balduino9105]

what language they are speaking? i cant do recognize it!

[@ralphwhyte4255]

Swedish

[@wh5254]

Same as the Swedish chef in the Muppet Show.

[@albacoppola4866]

Swedish Bergman, Norvegian Ullman

[@carlh.h.2242]

Alba Coppola Ullman is Norwegian, but she is speaking Swedish

[@RaymondHng]

@@carlh.h.2242 Does Ullman's dialect of Swedish match Bergman's?

[@abraham4124]

How does the mother, the pianist, knows her daughter’s underlying feelings only by listening to her playing a piece?

[@voraciousreader3341]

I recently read that a mother retains each of her children’s DNA in her brain after birth….perhaps that’s one reason. Obviously, Ullmann isn’t Bergman’s daughter, but Bergman had her relationship with her own daughters to draw from. When we can drop our defensiveness and open our hearts, amazing things can happen!

[@user-xm1et7cz2o]

Because her feelings are in the music when she's playing. And if you allow the music to go through, and are able to pick up the subtleties, then it's all there. It's not something you need to be a mother to do (though, of course, that makes the bond stronger, which can either make it easier, or harder, to take things in). Some people may be more sensitive, or receptive, but it's all a matter of stilling your mind and being present in the moment. This video might be an excellent meditation tool for exploring that, should anyone be interested.

[@user-fe1kr2qh3s]

그녀는 자신의 생일 다음날 죽었습니다. 자살인가요?

[@eriscarmodossantosdefranca5528]

Sorry but I cannot see anything extraordinary

[@sighsha3657]

you can see it within the ocntext of the whole film

[@ColombianThunder]

Yes, I would recommend watching the whole movie to feel the context of this scene