gavin6942 In the lat 19th-century, a slightly-aging and totally amoral actress invites to her country-house party two married men---a lawyer and a count---who have both been her lovers in the past. She also asks them to bring along their wives. She has plans on taking one of them away from his present wife, but also ensure that all her guests leave paired up. The math doesn't work out until an uninvited guest also shows up.The film's plot—which involves switching partners on a summer night—has been adapted many times, most notably as the theatrical musical, A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim, Hugh Wheeler and Harold Prince, which opened on Broadway in 1973, and as Woody Allen's film "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy" (1982).What actually strikes me about the film is how generally upbeat it is. Bergman is best known for dark, moody existential films. And this is not one of those. Others have noted the same (how can you not?) and point out the strangest thing of all: this was during the darkest period in Bergman's life. So tragedy makes comedy?

nycritic Throughout a career that has spanned six decades, Ingmar Bergman has not been known as a director of light comedies of manners. When certain landmark titles come to mind (THE SEVENTH SEAL, PERSONA), I get images of deeply meditative poetry which, through their iconic imagery, often delve much deeper into the layers of his characters' hidden and exposed feelings and bring forth subtle yet multiple meanings to his unique stories. So when coming across one of his earlier works -- SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT -- with only the knowledge of it being the movie that brought him into international acclaim on the cusp of THE SEVENTH SEAL and little else, I was prepared to view yet another of his ultra-serious tapestries of reflection that would leave me thinking and thinking and thinking.However, I was most surprised when, from the get-go, SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT opened in on a high note. A farce in the tradition of the most refined English or French comedies, sharply influenced by Shakespeare, it opens in on three couples about to realize who they are in relation to one another, and to the person they are meant to be with. Frederik Egerman is married to Anne, a woman about the age of his son Henrik. He has not been able to consummate his marriage to her because he prefers she remain a virgin. However, he has a lover in Desiree, a stage actress who reveals to him her son is also named Frederik (for reasons that are clear to us, even though she never verbalizes it). She is also carrying on an affair with Count Malcolm who is married to Charlotte, though the last two probably look like they would rather be divorced as they seem to hate each other. At the same time, Petra, the maid, is brazenly offering herself to Henrik -- the woman literally oozes sex in every scene she's in.These characters converge at a dinner at Desiree's estate that she's planned because she wants to take matters into her own hand in regards to these people, also because she has an invested interest at hand. Her mother has prepared a love potion and has served it to her guests, who drink from it, bringing forth unusual consequences to them all.Deliciously wicked from start to finish, SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT crackles with kinetic energy, a razor-sharp script, and strong characters. The men are all clueless of what is around them which makes for a splendid farce. The women, on the other hand, all fare much better in Bergman's movie since all are variations of female assertiveness which places them in a position ages ahead of the time-line of the story, and therefore, the ultimate controllers of destiny. Magic is a feminine science, so it's appropriate when Desiree's mother -- a woman who has a morbid sense of humor -- dictates to her hapless guests the ingredients of her potion. Even Anne, who at first shows signs of being much too sensitive for her own good, toughens up quite a bit when Charlotte comes to visit and lets her in on her husband's affair by throwing it right back and effectively silencing her into dullness.A beautiful and quite touching comedy, SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT is a movie that makes for a perfect introduction into Ingmar Bergman's work even when it's the only flat-out slapstick he's directed and all of his movies following this one are much graver in nature. It features his trademark closeups of actors facing the camera, all conveying more than their faces would register initially, which has become the benchmark of Bergman's cinema.

preppy-3 A rare comedy from director Ingmar Bergman.It takes place at the turn of the century. Fredrik Egerman is an old, cynical man who is married to beautiful, young (20) Anne. She can't have sex with him--she's too afraid. He knows and agrees to be patient. He also has a son from a previous marriage (Henrik) who is attracted to Anne. He's also attracted to the maid Petra. Then there's Desiree, a former mistress of Fredrik who is now sleeping with Malcolm (who's also married) and still attracted to Fredrik. Got all that? They all end up spending a summer weekend at a beautiful house in the woods. Things come to a head.I've always wanted to see this--the title alone is beautiful. I did see it in a revival theatre in the 1980s--I hated it. The print was lousy and edited! During a fairly explicit (for 1955) talk about sex the subtitles disappeared! Just saw it again--unedited and in pretty good shape. While I don't think this is a masterpiece (I'm not a Bergman fan) I did like this.It is funny--but pretty subtle. The relationships are all complicated but you do have them straight by the end. What's really good about this film is how Bergman treats (and shows) his female characters. Except for Anne (but she changes) they're strong, stand up for themselves and find men and their ways amusing--some of Desirre's looks were very funny. Also, in the form of Petra, they want sex and have no problem letting men know. For 1955 audiences this must have been shocking--Petra (almost) bares her breast and the sexual talk between women is very frank.The acting is good by everybody...but the film is lacking in romance. I never believed any of these characters loved each other. Also it's slow-moving but it all ends happily. So I did like it--I give it an 8.Later musicalized by Stephen Sondheim as "A Little Night Music" and disastrously remade (sort of) in Woody Allen's "A Midsummers Night Sex Comedy". Avoid that one at all costs.

Galina "Smiles of a Summer Night" is one of the most elegant and charming carnal comedies ever filmed. It is clever, witty, and incredibly sexy. Did I mention that it was written and directed by The Ingmar Bergman whose name would not usually be associated with the comedies? "Smiles of a Summer Night" was a great success with both the critics and the audiences and was submitted for the Cannes film festival…without its creator's knowledge. The film was nominated for the Golden Palm and won the Award for Best Poetic Humor. Bergman describes how he found out about his movie's international recognition, "I was sitting on the toilet reading a morning newspaper. One of the articles was entitled, The Great Victory for a Swedish Cinema at Cannes. I thought, what a wonderful news, what is the movie? And then I read the title, "Smiles of a Summer Night" by Ingmar Bergman." He recalls how poor he was then and he borrowed the money for a ticket to Cannes from Bibi Anderson whom he dated at the time. I did not laugh a lot but I don't think I was supposed to - "Smiles... is a different kind of comedy, sensual and subtle, with the characters often weak but not ridiculous. The beauty of it is in the dialogs, ironic looks, the charming struggle of wits, and in the realization that not everyone will be blessed with the true and passionate love but the life goes on, anyway. The actresses (Ulla Jacobsson, Eva Dahlbeck, Harriet Andersson, and Margit Carlqvist) were incredibly sexy, especially Eva Dahlbeck smoking a cigar and Harriett Andersson as a chambermaid talking to her mistress about the virginity – delightful! There are no words to describe the beauty, splendor, charm, humor, and sensuality of this film. The best I can do - to paraphrase Woody Allen's line -"that was the most fun I've ever had without sex."