The Best Intentions

The theatrical distillation of a 1992 Scandinavian TV miniseries, The Best Intentions was made from a screenplay written by Swedish film icon Ingmar Bergman after his 1988 retirement from active cinema. Featuring a cast of Norse thespian royalty (including Max von Sydow, Ghita Nørby, and Lena Endre), the story is a veiled fictionalization of Bergman's parents' lives before his birth (derived from letters and family memories). The narrative describes the star-crossed and turbulent affair of struggling seminarian Henrik (Samuel Fröler), a proudly poor aspiring priest with a strong sense of social justice, and Anna (Pernilla August, who married director Bille August during filming), a daughter of the aristocracy. Disapproving mothers and the vast gulf between their worlds—along with Henrik's one-sided, inflexible nature—threaten more than once to break the relationship. Those familiar with the Bergman canon will recognize his major themes here, including the silence of God in the face of suffering. Extras include Bergman's 1984 wordless short film “Karin's Face,” a collage composed from Bergman's old family album that allows for compare/contrast opportunities with the movie itself, as well as an essay by film historian Peter Cowie. Recommended. (C. Cassady)