The Touch

Ingmar Bergman's first English language film was panned upon its initial release, but in retrospect, while not ranking with his assortment of masterpieces, it remains a welcome film from his canon. Bibi Andersson, in a wonderful performance, plays a housewife happily married to respected doctor, Max von Sydow. Soon they both become friends with American archaeologist, Elliott Gould, who promptly declares his love for Andersson. She is taken aback by his declaration, yet seems drawn to him just the same, and soon they find themselves conducting an affair. Gradually, his personality begins to manifest itself as he varies between tender lover and violent brute. I say this is a welcome film for Bergman because it can easily be separated from the body of his work. While still focusing on only a handful of characters, he sets the film in a city (I was never certain on which), rather than his isolated island of Faro in which many of his films are set. I never realized how much setting has to do in creating mood as when I started juxtaposing this film with his others. The setting alone must account for a large percentage of the austerity and dreariness associated with his work. Then, there's Sven Nykvist's color photography which, rather than being start black and white or even the bold saturated colors of Cries and Whispers, he emphasizes the blue's and cooler colors, creating perhaps the most purely pleasant visual palette you are ever likely to find in a Bergman film. Gould is a decent actor, though he doesn't have the presence and depth of von Sydow. One could probably make some justifiable complaints about the progression of the story and the characters, but I was so captivated by how "pleasant" this film felt considering the director, that I probably managed to overlook some of its faults. Don't get me wrong, this is certainly a Bergman film, with many of his typical elements, but one that leaves you feeling pleasant (sorry for overuse of the word) at the end -- not depressed and not elated or transcendent.