3. Persona (1966)
Swedish director Ingmar Bergman became the last word on the art house film scene.
Widely regarded as the greatest film director of all time, Bergman’s films show cinema still has much more to offer. Among his many masterpieces sits his 1966 entry Persona.
Written especially for the two stars Liv Ullman and Bibi Andersson, the film’s plot reads like this:
“The story revolves around a young nurse named Alma (Andersson) and her patient, well-known stage actress Elisabet Vogler (Ullmann), who has suddenly stopped speaking.
They move to a cottage, where Alma cares for Elisabet, confides in her and begins having trouble distinguishing herself from her patient.”
Bergman experimented with the use of smoke and mirrors for the film in a tale of lost identity. Adding to that was the fact that Bergman had an intimate relationship with both actresses.
Bergman and his film, to this day, remain the standard bearer of art-house film.
