.jeri.

Sometimes I enjoy delving into a director's body of work all at one time, so I can really get to know him and how he works. It can be depressing at times, even when the movies are fantastic. I've already seen a good number of Bergman movies, and right now, I'm struggling my way through many more. I have to admit that the man has a wonderful eye. The closeups, the framing and staging of each scene, the way he can get his actors to emote so much, and the depth of his themes are all impressive.

But man, I am so depressed lately. In the past couple months, I've watched Autumn Sonata (girl confronting unloving mother), Through a Glass Darkly (girl going crazy), Persona (girl losing identity), Cries and Whispers (girl dying while sisters flash back to why they are all emotional cripples), and The Virgin Spring (girl gets raped and murdered).

I'm feeling rather stupid too. I should probably pick up a book on Bergman, but while I appreciate his movies, I don't necessarily enjoy them all that much, and I'm not sure I want to spend a lot of time reading about his work since I don't find myself feeling very invested in it. I know there's more substance than I have the patience to decipher. I'm trying to coax myself into going to the Truth and Lies exhibit at the Academy, to see if it'll give me any inspiration.

They're also having a series of his films at the LACMA too, but the movies I haven't seen already don't work with my schedule. A review of that series captures a little bit of how I feel while watching his work: "When Bergman gets the balance between action and introspection just right, his films can be uniquely, discomfitingly harrowing. When he leans too hard on free-floating torment, however, the result is art as oppression." At least this review gives me hope in that I'm not the only one who struggles.

I have to admit that the play-like feeling of several of Bergman's movies is also starting to bother me. At least my most recent watch was The Virgin Spring, which was a good change of pace from a world of emotional monologues and cutting arguments.

All that is to say that I'm not so sure I want to sit down and write reviews for these movies. It's feeling like a chore, and I never want my blog to feel like a chore.

Maybe a few quick thoughts, and a Bergman Roundup, when I'm done with everything? Yes, that sound good. I think I'll skip ahead and review a Tom Cruise movie next. Yes, you read that right. Variety is the spice of life, you know, and my variety goes from Bergman to Cruise in a matter of hours; and I don't even like Cruise - but more on that later!