The Magician

1958 1h 42m SV

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 251

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A traveling magician and his troupe arrive in a Swedish town in the 1840s, where their act is scrutinized by local authorities and a skeptical medical official. Their stay leads to a series of confrontations that test the boundaries between performance, belief, and deception.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Max von Sydow
Albert Emanuel Vogler
Ingrid Thulin
Manda Vogler
Gunnar Björnstrand
Dr. Vergerus / Minister of Health
Naima Wifstrand
Granny Vogler
Bengt Ekerot
Johan Spegel
Bibi Andersson
Sara Lindqvist
Gertrud Fridh
Ottilia
Lars Ekborg
Simson

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ingmar Bergman
Writers: Ingmar Bergman
Languages: Swedish
Countries: Sweden

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 / 6

ERA

Did you know

68 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Erik Nordgren. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

AWARDS

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Max von Sydow and Ingrid Thulin and Gunnar Björnstrand carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0051365 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ingmar Bergman directs. Gunnar Fischer behind the camera. Erik Nordgren scores. Oscar Rosander cuts. Produced in Sweden. Dialogue in Swedish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

168 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Ingmar Bergman, shot by Gunnar Fischer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Erik Nordgren. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Oscar Rosander shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Max von Sydow and Ingrid Thulin and Gunnar Björnstrand carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0051365 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Classified under 10 themes, including "dual identity", "magic", "paranoia", "paranormal phenomena".
8Released under 22 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Gunnar Fischer
Original score: Erik Nordgren
Editing: Oscar Rosander
Production design: P.A. Lundgren
Costume design: Greta Johansson
Makeup / hair: Börje Lundh
Runtime: 102 min · 1h 42m
Status: Released
Original language: SV
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Magician (1958)

Awards

Grand Jury Prize of the Venice Film Festival

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Ingmar Bergman

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CRCulver2018-09-06
★ 7/10
The three films that Ingmar Bergman produced at the close of the 1950s – Det sjunde inseglet, Smultronstället and Jungfrukällen – tower so high in his output that one might forget that these were not his only productions of the era. Ansiktet ("The Face", released in English-speaking markets as The Magician) from 1958 is one of his lesser-known films. In mid-19th century Sweden the magician Albert Emanuel Vogler (Max van Sydow) goes from town to town promising people cures for their ailments and performing magic tricks, including what was the sensation of the time, hypnosis. He is joined by his tout (Aake Fridell), his "ward" Mr. Aman (Ingrid Thulin) and his "grandmother" and the troupe's maker of patent medicine (Naima Wifstrand). After fleeing the law after a performance in one town, they pass through the forest and enter another community. Here they are detained by the authorities, so that the physician Vergerus (Gunnar Bjornstrand), the consul Egerman (Erland Josephson) can decide a wager on whether Vogler's tricks are real spiritual powers or scientifically explainable illusions. While Ansiktet should not be overlooked for fans of Bergman, I think it is fair that the film is not ranked among Bergman's greatest achievements. Characterization is pretty slim – we get no idea of why Vogler and his companion chose this life, and Vergerus is so shallow that Gunnar Bjornstrand seems wasted. And had the film ended three minutes earlier it would have been one of Bergman's more powerful conclusions, but instead we get a completely unexpected happy ending that just seems lame. Much of the middle part of the film depends on sex jokes that are funny at times, but I suspect anyone who knows Bergman's great output will continuously be thinking that he's capable of so much more than this. Still, Ansiktet does have a generally thought-provoking dramatic arc, and some moments will prove memorable. I especially admired the battle between Vergerus and Vogler and the magician's breakdown (funny how his temperment appropriately changes with his clothes in this scene).
CinemaSerf2024-02-05
★ 7/10
I thought there was something of the slightly menacing John Carradine in Max Von Sydow's performance here, as the eponymous purveyor of bafflement. His troupe arrive in a forewarned small Swedish town that is full of scepticism about the wares and skills of the "Vogler" enterprise. MVS is the master magician, with his wife "Wanda" (Ingrid Thuler), his anti-wart tonic mixing aunt/grandmother (the scene-stealing Naira Wifstrand) and the enigmatic "Tubal" (Åke Fridell) all pulling their weight in this family business. The local police commissioner (Toivo Paulo) is deeply suspicious and demands that before they try out their "gifts" on the more gullible wider population, they demonstrate to a triumvirate of himself, local bigwig "Egerman" (Erland Jospehson) and the downright hostile health minister "Vergerus" (Gunnar Björnstrand). Now try as they might, these detractors just cannot disprove what they are seeing. Can this be real or is the "Vogler" science just too clever for them? What now ensues sees a sophisticated and frequently quite amusing series of battles of wits emerge. Not just between the accusers and the visitors, but soon we see a fracturing dynamic amongst the family itself as cracks begin to emerge and eyes (and hands) start to wander. It's the clever denouement that still holds up well and allows this enjoyably under-scripted poke at science and horror to conclude in an almost workmanlike manner. As ever with Bergman, it's also about the photography - and some of the intensity here, especially around the frequently rather sexually ambiguous wife, focusses on the eyes. Always the eyes. That really works well to build and sustain the growing hint of mystery and intrigue. Even we are not entirely sure what's going on and surely we would be wise to what must be their fraud? Good stuff!