Autumn Sonata

1978 1h 33m SV

🙌

8.0

BANGER

🍅

85%

FRESH

⭐

8.1

IMDB

★8.0TMDB · 733🍅85%Rotten Tomatoes★8.1IMDB · 41,472

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After a seven-year absence, Charlotte Andergast travels to Sweden to reunite with her daughter Eva. The pair have a troubled relationship: Charlotte sacrificed the responsibilities of motherhood for a career as a classical pianist. Over an emotional night, the pair reopen the wounds of the past. Charlotte gets another shock when she finds out that her mentally impaired daughter, Helena, is out of the asylum and living with Eva.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Ingrid Bergman
Charlotte
Liv Ullmann
Eva
Lena Nyman
Helena
Halvar Björk
Viktor
Marianne Aminoff
Charlotte's Private Secretary
Arne Bang-Hansen
Uncle Otto
Gunnar Björnstrand
Paul
Erland Josephson
Josef

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ingmar Bergman
Writers: Ingmar Bergman
Languages: English, Swedish
Countries: Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

48 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Swedish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ingmar Bergman, shot by Sven Nykvist. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Sylvia Ingemarsson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullmann and Lena Nyman carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0077711 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ingmar Bergman directs. Sven Nykvist behind the camera. Sylvia Ingemarsson cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom. Dialogue in English, Swedish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

148 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Swedish.
3International production across 3 countries: Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Ingmar Bergman, shot by Sven Nykvist. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Sylvia Ingemarsson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullmann and Lena Nyman carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0077711 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 11 themes, including "loss of loved one", "marriage", "pianist", "invalid".

The technical file

Cinematography: Sven Nykvist
Editing: Sylvia Ingemarsson
Production design: Anna Asp
Costume design: Inger Pehrsson
Makeup / hair: Cecilia Drott
Sound: Owe Svensson
Runtime: 93 min · 1h 33m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: SV
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Autumn Sonata (1978)
Rotten Tomatoes: 85% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 8.1/10 · 41,472 votes
MPAA: PG

Awards

Nominated for 2 Oscars. 10 wins & 10 nominations total

Also by

Ingmar Bergman

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

badelf2022-07-12
★ 9/10
Wow. Just wow. Ingmar Bergman really outdid himself this time. His movies are always a thoughtful watch because they're usually out somewhere on a parallel spiritual plane. This one, however, has two new characteristics: First, he's completely up-in-your-face about dysfunctional families. And second, there is so much incredible philosophy threaded into the film that you'll want to hit the pause button and take notes. IMHO, this might be Ingmar's best.
CinemaSerf2023-06-04
★ 7/10
The intensity with which Ingmar Bergman brings together truly stunning performances from Liv Ullmann ("Eva") trying to reconcile with her chronically back pain ridden mother "Charlotte" (Ingrid Bergman) is fascinating to watch in this powerful, visceral drama. The relationship has long since been strained as the concert pianist mother had to make plenty of sacrifices - and choices - that affected her family. When she unexpectedly visits her daughter, the two sit at a piano, an experience that unlocks the flood gates on an history of blame, recrimination and resentment - though not without some considerable affection, too - and we are taken on a fairly joyless guided tour of their lives together. To add to this already fairly emotionally turbulent cocktail, "Charlotte" discovers that her other daughter "Helena" (a wonderfully authentic effort from Lena Nyman) - who suffers from a pretty severe mental illness - is also being cared for by her sister, and yet more demons emerge. Essentially a double-hander between the mother and daughter, this story runs the gamut of feelings and though at times you can't help feeling that the scenarios are just a little unnecessarily downbeat, the tightness of the close up photography and poignancy of the dialogue makes for a compelling evaluation of human ambition, priorities and, of love. Enjoyable? Well, I don't think I could say that - but captivating, well yes - certainly