Smiles of a Summer Night

Sommarnattens Leende

Bergman’s acerbic comedy brings together several couples at a country house in 1900 for a roundelay of sexual intrigue and discovery.

  • Director

    Ingmar Bergman

  • With

    Eva Dahlbeck, Ulla Jacobsson, Gunnar Björnstrand, Jarl Kulle, Harriet Andersson

  • Sweden 1955. 109min

  • Digital

  • Certificate

    12A

  • English subtitles

Ingmar Bergman’s first international success, this brings together a number of couples, would-be couples and ex-couples for a weekend at a country house in 1900, and observes their deceits, delusions and disappointments as they interact in amorous intrigue. Acerbically witty – especially in debunking the men– yet compassionate, it was much admired by Truffaut, who considered Bergman an exemplary auteur and ‘a born moviemaker’.

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