Ingmar Bergman's glorious drama about the disparities of love as viewed by the younger and elder generations of the story. It reminded me in many ways of Renoir's La Regle Du Jeu, both films had a whimsical humour to them, and both films demonstrated a flippant but passionate belief and love of love. The story focuses on a lawyer Egerman who hears of a play starring Desiree, an old flame, whom he considers his only friend. Married himself to a 19year old virgin, the story revolves around Desiree two previous lovers including Egerman and their respective wives. When they are invited to Desiree's house for a dinner party, emotions fly and lovers collide as Desiree plots to secure the man she loves whilst matching up all the remaining parties.
The film was the influence for Woody Allen's A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy, which I haven't seen but it's unlikely to be as effortlessly charming and fun to watch as this film. Having rewatched La Regle Du Jeu a few weeks ago, I found myself equally enamoured by the varying views of love, from both men and women young and old. The europeans, in this case Swedish and French have such a passionate you cynical view of love it made me wonder if British filmmakers could ever be so romantic without be meoldramatic or sentimental. Bergman is a director I know little of, something i'm beginning to recitfy and having now seen Seventh Seal, Persona, Wild Strawberries and Smiles of a Summer Night it is clear that not only is he a genius and legend of cinema, but also a man who knew and understood more about love than most people could ever make claim to.
Smiles of a Summer Night is a perfect companion piece to Renoir's classic, and if not quite a raucously funny, or midly absurd, Summer Night is a joy to watch, and makes you think long and hard about your own thoughts and views on the most powerful emotion we know.
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