Summer with Monika

Summer with Monika (1953)—starring Ingmar Bergman's first acknowledged muse, Harriet Andersson, as the impulsive, anxious, immature young Monika—is a more sophisticated take on the themes of his earlier Summer Interlude (1951). Summer presents an opportunity for Monika and her serious boyfriend, Harry (Lars Ekborg), to flee the city and live a carefree life on an archipelago. For Harry, it's a temporary vacation from the stresses of dealing with an ailing father and a lousy job, but for Monika, it's an escape from a suffocating home environment and the demeaning reality of being a working-class girl in a chauvinist culture. Of course, the real world is never far away from even the most idealized moments, and dwindling supplies and food—coupled with the onset of autumn's cold weather—eventually drive the pair from their self-made Eden back to the material world of Stockholm. As the bloom of romance surrenders to practical matters of survival, the sacrifices and compromises of day-to-day existence serve to complete their education in love. Bergman is still finding his themes and honing his direction here, but Summer with Monika is a major step forward, his most mature work to date. Beautifully remastered for DVD and Blu-ray, extras include a 2003 intro by Bergman, a new video interview with Andersson, two featurettes on the film and its re-edited U.S. release, and a booklet featuring a review by Jean-Luc Godard. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)