Through a Glass Darkly is a haunting and deeply moving film that begins Ingmar Bergman’s “Faith Trilogy,” which continues with Winter Light (1963) and The Silence (1963). These films share a thematic focus, delving into existential questions about God’s existence, faith, and the complexities of human relationships.
The plot unfolds over the course of 24 hours on an isolated Swedish island when Karin (Harriet Andersson), her husband and a doctor, Martin (Max Von Sydow), her younger brother Minus (Lars Passgård), and her father David (Gunnar Björnstrand), a renowned writer, all come together for a vacation. Karin, who has schizophrenia, attempts to readjust to family life following her recent discharge from a psychiatric facility. Though the family initially appears happy and normal, cracks in their relationships soon surface: Martin deeply cares for Karin but feels neglected in their sexless marriage; Minus feels lost and alone and is yearning for a meaningful connection; and David remains cold and estranged from his children. However, when Karin learns that her illness is incurable, her mental state deteriorates, causing her to spiral further into delusion, affecting everyone around her.
Taking place in one location with only four characters, Through a Glass Darkly revolves around Karin’s illness, how each family member handles it, and how the family dynamics unfold throughout these difficult times. As in many of Bergman’s films, the characters in Through a Glass Darkly are richly layered and complex. David, the father, is emotionally distant and detached from his children. He uses his work as a shield to avoid confronting Karin’s suffering, and beneath his cold exterior lies a deep sense of emptiness and guilt for failing as a father. David struggles to show love or offer emotional support and consistently chooses a cowardly route of escape over his responsibilities. His self-absorption gets to the point where he draws inspiration for his artwork from Karin’s mental illness, underscoring the film’s theme of artistic exploitation.
On the other hand, Martin is a very devoted and loving spouse to Karin, who cares for her but feels powerless to assist her in overcoming her illness. Despite knowing her illness is incurable, Martin pledges to remain steadfastly by her side until the very end. Then there’s Minus, a troubled and emotionally distressed adolescent struggling with his identity as he yearns for his father’s affection, feels emotionally abandoned, and laments their lack of meaningful connection. Although Minus is close to his sister Karin, the dynamics between them are complicated, and Bergman alludes to an incestuous undertone, perhaps exploring the repercussions of emotional isolation and the vulnerability of human bonds. From Minus’s perspective, his emotional turmoil could be a result of sexual repression as he grapples with the curiosity and desire for intimacy, evidenced by his reading of a porn magazine. In Karin’s case, it could be that her illness has clouded her perception of relationships, leading to a detachment from societal norms and a fragmented understanding of traditional family roles.
At the heart of the film is Karin, who suffers from schizophrenia, and her illness is the lens through which Bergman explores the complexities of her family. Karin is a kind and endearing young woman who is impossible to dislike. As the story progresses, we witness her mental state gradually deteriorating, culminating in a devastating breakdown scene towards the end. She begins to experience hallucinations, including a chilling scene where she enters an empty room, presses her ear against a wall with peeling wallpaper, and starts hearing sounds (which are also audible to the viewers). She believes God is coming to meet her, but her visions take a terrifying turn when she claims a spider appears instead of God and attempts to penetrate her, symbolizing the crumbling of her faith and her doubts about God’s existence. Additionally, Bergman’s brilliant writing treats her descent into madness with empathy, illustrating the profound impact of mental illness on both the individual and their loved ones.
Through a Glass Darkly was filmed by Ingmar Bergman’s longtime collaborator and one of cinema’s finest cinematographers, Sven Nykvist, who recommended the island of Fårö as the shooting location, though Bergman initially hesitated. After visiting the island, however, Bergman became so captivated by its beauty that he chose to shoot many of his subsequent films there and even moved his family to Fårö. Nykvist brilliantly captures the raw, desolate landscape of the island—its wide horizons, barren fields, and jagged shores perfectly mirror the themes of isolation and existential despair in the film. One defining feature of Nykvist’s cinematography is the use of long, intense close-ups, particularly in shots with two characters who are not facing each other but looking at an indeterminate place on the screen. In Through a Glass Darkly, the use of this technique amplifies Karin’s mental breakdown by drawing the audience deeper into her emotional turmoil. Furthermore, despite their physical proximity, the close-up dual shots of Karin and Minus’s faces are lit differently, creating an emotional distance that adds to the film’s examination of emotional isolation and alienation.
In her role as Karin, Harriet Andersson gives an extraordinarily raw, uncompromising, and haunting performance that elevates the film to new heights. Her tone, facial expressions, and body language convey the authentic, uncontrollable horror that her character experiences. The way she seamlessly changes from a kind, loving character to one that strikes fear in others within a scene is extraordinary to witness. Through a Glass Darkly offers a glimpse into Bergman’s tortured mind, delving into the existential dilemmas that have plagued him throughout his life.
Through a Glass Darkly movie links: Letterboxd, Wikipedia
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