Film-making


Understanding the Text

1. Pick out examples from the text that show Bergman’s sensitivity

to sensory impressions which have made him a great filmmaker.

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2. What do you understand of the complexity of the little invisible

steps that go into the making of a good film?

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3. What are some of the risks that film-making involves?

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4. What misgivings does Bergman have about the contemporary

film industry?

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5. Compare Bergman’s views about making films out of books with

that of Umberto Eco’s.

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Talking about the Text

1. According to the author, split-second impressions form a

‘mental state, not an actual story, but one abounding in fertile

associations and images’.

Compare this with Virginia Woolf’s experiment with the stream

of consciousness technique in ‘The Mark on the Wall’.

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2. Bergman talks about the various influences in his life including

his parents and his religious upbringing. To what extent are

an individual’s achievements dependent on the kind of

influences he or she has had in life? Discuss.

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Appreciation

1. Autobiographical accounts make interesting reading when the

author selects episodes that are connected to the pursuit of

excellence. How does this apply to Ingmar Bergman’s narration

of the details of film-making?

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2. Comment on the conversational tone of the narration. Compare

this with the very informal style adopted by Umberto Eco in

the interview.

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