Ingmar Bergman och musiken
En audiovisuell analys av Såsom i en spegel, Tystnaden, Persona och Vargtimmen
The research on Ingmar Bergman is comprehensive, however, there is one aspect of his artistry that has been regrettably neglected ? his use of music. Music always played a huge part in Bergman?s life, and it was also a great source of inspiration. The music was a structural component in the creating process and he often referred to his films as pieces of music and his actors as musical instruments. Moreover, music frequently played a thematic part in the plot. The purpose of this essay is to examine what function music actually has in a selection of Bergman?s films. To do this I have closely analyzed sequences in which music is performed in four different films from the sixties; Through a Glass Darkly (1961), The Silence (1963), Persona (1966) and Hour of the Wolf (1968). The basis of the discussion lies in the film sound research, mainly that of Claudia Gorbman and Royal S. Brown. The conclusion of this analysis is that Bergman?s use of music is quite extraordinary, particularly in creating a certain feeling of time and space differentiated from the rest of the story. The music has an apparent intrinsic value of its own, and consequently, it is a narrative instrument in itself.