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21 out of 25 people found the following comment useful :- One of Bergman's best films (major spoilers below), 20 June 2003 Author: zetes from Saint Paul, MN
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
Film lovers with a slightly more than rudimentary knowledge of the subject recognize that Ingmar Bergman was active long before he directed The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries. Still, few of those earlier films are known that well, besides perhaps Smiles of a Summer's Night (which I don't care for much myself, though I owe it a reassessment). In 1953 Bergman made two of his greatest works, Sawdust and Tinsel and Summer with Monika (distributed in the US as simply "Monika," but I prefer to use the entire title, as it just sounds better). Sawdust and Tinsel, as I say, is another masterwork; do see it. But it is not the issue at hand here. Summer with Monika has a classic art film story behind it: Bergman came up with the idea quickly, having gotten some money, and he just took his few actors and crew on a summer vacation with very little planning involved. What results is a simple story, but one that is very mature and emotionally complex. Two teenage lovers escape the tyranny of their parents. Stealing a boat, they travel around the southern islands of Sweden together, revelling in their adolescent lust. A few things happen along the way, but they aren't really worth mentioning. Not that these events are unimportant, only that to describe them would not be useful here; they ought to be experienced as they happen.What makes this film a masterpiece is the third act. Teenage love is often so idealized by artists, born from an air of irresistable nostalgia. Maybe Ingmar Bergman was too much of a pessimist for his characters to find neverending happiness by the time the film fades out. Harriet Andersson, a Bergman regular, of course, plays Monika. There is a love in her, and she may even really love Harry (played by Lars Ekborg) when they set out together. On the other hand, part of it is she just wants the experience of an adventure, of independence from her cluttered and sad homelife and parents, of love, and, not least of all, of sex. Monika is, first and foremost, a sexual being. Andersson is not exploited, though, as she so easily could have been (French actress Brigitte Bardot provides the best example of just how an actress' career can be harmed by these kinds of highly sexual roles). Andersson arouses the audience, but Bergman is careful (as he is with all of his women) not to make her into some cheap male fantasy. We want Harriet Andersson, yet we realize that she is not to be had. She is her own person.This manifests itself in a pretty nasty way in the third act. Eventually, as the summer begins to fade, Harry decides that the two of them cannot spend the rest of their lives drifting around on a boat. They also have realized that Monika has become pregnant. Bergman thus eschews the type of ending where the two return home, maybe in love maybe not, and that's that. Instead, he gives these two characters a reality check. Harry jumps into it with gusto, marrying his sweetheart and getting a decent job. When his child is born, he is overjoyed. Unfortunately, Monika (who is two years younger than Harry, at 17) cannot make the same leap. This monotonous, routine life which she was hoping to escape falls back down on her. The fact that she has a child annoys her: no longer is she free to do what she chooses. And her lust is now left unsatisfied: Harry sees her as the beautiful mother of his child, not so much as his lover anymore. Ultimately, because Harry is away so much with his work, Monika's lust breaks loose. In the film's most memorable scene, she picks up a new boyfriend at a bar. Bergman allows her to look straight into the camera, one of the earliest examples of a filmmaker breaking the fourth wall. Monika looks into our eyes, and we see the pain, fear, and loneliness she has acquired. The shot is held for what seems like forever, even though it comprises only a few seconds.Monika leaves Harry and their baby. The film ends with Harry alone, staring at himself and his child in the mirror. He is hurt, that is certain, but I do not believe that he judges her too harshly. After all, he does understand Monika and her temperament. As he remembers the beauty of the summer he and Monika shared, he cradles in his arm the only physical evidence left of that time. It's a sad ending, but, with the warmness we see in Harry's expression, we know that the child will be much loved by its father. Life continues.
19 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :- You can't get more naturalistic with a love story than with Summer with Monika (and still infuse the trademark imagery of a Bergman film); sleeper-classic, 10 January 2005 Author: MisterWhiplash from United States
Summer with Monika is a very fine, if not completely masterful, showcase of what would be to come with Ingmar Bergman's more notable and personal dramas. That is, in the technical side of things- here he uses a lot of shots that are simply there for the location, the imagery of where the characters are at. It's much more of a documentary than a usual tale of young love. But it's a good story at the core, and in it Bergman also establishes one of the actresses that would become crucial to his career. Harriet Andersson is remarkable as the happy, though high strung and (as one in my generation might call) 'needy' Monika, who works at a vegetable stand. She meets Harry (Ekberg) in a bar one day, and the two hit it off after later seeing a movie. Monika's home life is the pits, as is Harry's work environment. So, they act on an impulse to get away for the summer to an island. Out of that comes what is very natural in a relationship- happiness, love, despair, hunger, and the oncoming (unplanned) child. The third act goes as how one might expect, but the way it's filmed and acted is still extraordinary.Once Bergman gets his film on the water, he just shoots and shoots. Some of this may not seem to go anywhere, some of it may just seem like shots of animals and rocks. But I have a feeling Bergman was likely inspired by either painters or the neo-realists with their documentary feel. If nothing else, everything feels very much alive and real with how the characters talk and act to each other, and that doesn't lose its ground after fifty years. Some shots here and there (one when Monika is out one night, when Harry is not at home, is intriguing on how it just stays on her, and how it's lit) are some of the more memorable ones of the 1950's for the director. I also liked how the characters were believably stuck in the middle of a very plausible dilemma- do they keep on going on with a great, bit love affair alone and off from civilization, or do they face up to what they have to do with living? It's a tragic, somewhat obvious conclusion, but the way it's told is how it scores some points.Basically, Summer with Monika is a fresh, dark love story that may appeal to those looking for a good alternative to a film of today loaded with cynicism or delight in the shrill conventions with the characters. One may have seen characters like Monika and Harry in other films, yet they are fitting for the style of Bergman's precise bittersweet whimsy and depth.
20 out of 27 people found the following comment useful :- A subtle and beautiful movie, 19 January 2001 Author: metamorfosisnet (metamorfosisnet@yahoo.com) from Buenos Aires, Argentina
Why should you see this movie? I can think many reasons: Because it has beautiful and perfect scenes, because it was made in the 50's and it's amazingly contemporary, because the characters are extremely interesting... This kind of movies shows us that there's no need to spend 10 million dollars to produce a film... It proves us that a simple story, with a simple production can be more transcendental than a film that cost millions.The story is simple, but it forces us to think about freedom, love, oppression, decision, and about the things we can or cannot change about ourselves and the others. As a conclusion, I can say that seeing this movie is a worthy experience.
11 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :- Great movie. Sensitive and solid story, very good performances., 23 October 1998 Author: Fernando Ponz from Brussels, Belgium
It is a very sensitive and solid story about love and loss. It fascinates you from the beginning, first of all because of the beauty of the images and then by the credibility of the characters. There's also plenty of small human details which together make a whole masterpiece (The moment that Monika turns and stares to the camera is one of them). Strangely enough, this movie is never mentioned among the best made by Bergman. But it is a great movie.
10 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :- A classic in a pristine new print from Janus, 30 September 2006 Author: Chris Knipp from Berkeley, California
Ingmar Bergman's Monika (Summer with Monika) (1953) is the story of two Stockholm teenagers, stock boy Harry (Lars Ekborg) and voluptuous, impulsive Monika (Harriet Andersson), who meet and fall in love and run away for a summer on a motorboat on the Stockholm archipelago escaping from work and all responsibility. Monika becomes pregnant and they return to the city and marry – but things turn bad. This first powerful feature by the Swedish master is simple and sweet but nonetheless rich in emotional wrenching events. The film, which depicts teenage unwed sex, was shockingly sensual for its time. In 2006 the intensity of Harriet Andersson's uninhibited performance is still impressive and this story is just as heartbreaking as it was over half a century ago.Presented as part of the Janus Films sidebar of the 2006 New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center in another gorgeous pristine-looking new print with a rich black and white tonal range that may look better than the original did.
8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :- Simple movie with mesmerizing scenes, 29 May 2006 Author: Najaf Guliyev (okidan) from Azerbaijan
This is the first Bergman movie I comment on. Not because it's one of his best, it's definitely not, imo. And not because it's one of my favorite Bergman movies, because it's not.This film is not your typical Bergman movie. It belongs to his early career, and there is not much about religion or subtle symbolisms. It's just a simple beautiful movie which makes you think, not with sorrow, but with love. There are so many beautiful and original scenes, and the movie is so contemporary - it's definitely underrated.I would say this is one of the best works belonging to his early career. It's simplicity and true beauty will leave you thinking about it for a long time and keep you returning to it again and again.9/10
7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :- Turning Point in Bergman's Life, 2 April 2001 Author: marquis de cinema from Boston, MA
A sad tale of two lovers who meet in a high emotional state and break up because the lady, Monika becomes bored with the relationship. About the highs and lows of love. Very beautiful in depicting the relationship between Harry and Monika. Its easy to sympathize with Harry because no matter how hard he tries to make Monika happy he always seems to fail. It was during the filming of this movie that Ingmar Bergman left his wife for the actress, Harriet Andersson(an act which he would regret and influence him for the rest of his career). This act would greatly influence Wild Strawberries(1957), Persona(1966), The Touch(1971), Cries & Whispers(1972), and would inspire the Liv Ullman film, Faithless. The director delivers a film of powerful emotions and raw feelings. Harriet Andersson is magnificent as the title character. Sommaren Med Monika/Monika(1953) is the first of many great motion pictures for the legendary filmmaker and visual poet, Ingmar Bergman.
7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :- The Story of Romeo and Juliet Told by Bergman, 5 November 2004 Author: Galina from Virginia, USA
What started as a story of idyllic summer of love and journey, shared between very young Harry and Monica, became an interesting study of relationship that had to survive the demands of real world after the journey was over. I kept thinking while watching this film what would've happened to Romeo and Juliet (who were close by age to film's heroes Monica, 17 and Harry, 19) had they been given a chance to live happily ever after. Would they be able to love each other after the reality of marriage would fight with their eternal love, when the baby is crying all night long and there is no money to pay a rent, and young and tender Juliet has learned about power and pleasures of sex but her Romeo is always out working, trying to make enough money to support her and the child? Would Juliet get bored and angry with Romeo for leaving her home alone? Would she start looking for fun elsewhere? Would be Romeo left heartbroken and bitter or would the memories of that unforgettable summer with his Juliet - Monica still stay with him as the best time of his life? Beautiful film with wonderful Harriet Andersson as a sultry teenager Monica, full of life, rebellious against her boring existence at home, ready for all pleasures of adult life but not ready for responsibilities of a wife and a mother. Will she learn? Will she remember the summer with Harry? Bergman, as usual, does not answer the questions. He never does. He tells the story - we are the ones who are left with unanswered questions.
9 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :- Reaching the Maturity, 16 May 2004 Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Harry Lund (lars Ekborg) is a nineteen years old young man who meets Monika (Harriet Andersson), a romantic, reckless and rebel seventeen years old teenager and both fall in love for each other. They live their families and jobs in their small town, Harry gets his father's boat and they spend the summer together in an isolated island. Monika gets pregnant, and Harry decides to get married with her. He grows-up, gets a job and return to the studies, trying to improve their lives and raise their daughter June, while Monika just wants to have fun. An inevitable separation happens in the end. In this romance, Ingmar Bergman returns to the theme of "Sommalek", love between youngster, giving a different approach. The beautiful story is disclosed through a beautiful cinematography, showing Harriet Andersson very sexy and daring, for a 1953 movie. Unfortunately, for the Brazilian viewers, the VHS from Continental distributor is awful, having black stripes covering the subtitles in English. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): 'Monika e o Desejo' ('Monika and the Desire')
7 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :- A good film, but the subtitles could have been better, 18 December 2005 Author: alan-467 from United Kingdom
I saw this film way back in about 1972 (when it was already nearly 20 years old) and thought it was very good (I had recently had a not-too-dissimilar experience with a Swedish girl - happily without the consequences of a resulting child!), so bought a copy of the DVD when I noticed it in my local store.I still like it a lot and would recommend it to anyone, but wanted to comment about the subtitles on my DVD copy. I am British, but, because I have lived in Sweden, I can understand most of the film without needing the English subtitles and it struck me that the subtitles miss out a lot that is relevant to the story. Even the translation of the title isn't strictly accurate - "Sommaren med Monika" should really be translated as "THE Summer with Monika", emphasising the fact that the affair only lasted for one Summer - a subtle but important nuance. Most Swedes are better in English than I am in Swedish, so I would appreciate knowing whether they agree with me. I suppose that it is inevitable that there are always subtleties that are lost in translation.
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