Ingmar Bergman in Alaska
This weekend, the Gold Town Nickelodeon in Juneau, Alaska, will be showing one of Ingmar Bergman’s most fascinating films, The Magic Flute. In the film, which is an exquisite reimagining of Mozart’s 1791 opera of the same title, Bergman adeptly masters the art of the opera film with help from his longtime collaborator, the legendary Swedish cinematographer Sven Nykvist, and from pioneering choreographer Donya Feuer. Originally made for Swedish television, Bergman’s take on this fantastical Mozart opera relates the tale of a prince’s quest to rescue a beautiful princess from the clutches of her villainous parents. Alaskans can see the dazzling 1975 film in a matinée showing this Saturday. In the meantime, give a read to Peter Cowie’s insightful essay on the beloved work, written in 2000 for our DVD release of the film.
