R.I.P INGMAR BERGMAN/MICHELANGELO ANTONIONI

On Monday, July 30, the incomparable Ingmar Bergman passed on; this comes as a great loss to the world of cinema as his films have been the cornerstone of great cinema since the start of his career. I for one, who grew up in Norway, surrounded by Bergman's films, will always love the great works he's left us with. If his name sounds foreign to you, I urge you to see some of his films; he made over fifty features, all of which had and continues to have great significance as far as cinema is concerned. To those of you who have seen the great features of his later years (Persona, The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries, Fanny and Alexander, Cries and Whispers, Scenes from a Marriage, etc.), I urge you to pick up the Eclipse set of his early works, you won't be disappointed. Bergman headed the revolution of Swedish films, a wave comparable to the French New Wave or the Italian Neo-Realist Movement in significance. Without Bergman, great directors like Lasse Hallstrom and Vilgot Sjoman may never have emerged. He will be remembered for his great works and will continue to top list of great directors forever; he was a wonderful, wonderful man.

Also on Monday, the great Michelangelo Antonioni, who directed such immortal classics as L'avventura, Blow-Up, The Passenger, L'eclisse, La Notte, etc., passed on as well. Antonioni was one of the pioneers of expressionist cinema and will live on in the hearts of his adoring fans. Anyone whose seen a film by the great director knows just how clever his films were. To pass him off would be stupid, for he has set many of his own benchmarks in the world of cinema and his films continue to be debated upon today. Like Fellini, Antonioni's films were extremely smart and deliberately ambiguous; his films contained several meanings and underlying ideas that have yet to be discovered. Go and pick up an Antonioni film (the above are some of my personal favourite) NOW!!! You won't regret it. Antonioni shouldn't be undermined just because he happened to pass on on the same day as Bergman did; his films, in their own right, were equally masterful. He will live on through the wonderful work he left us with.

In conclusion, it is truly a shame when two of cinema's finest pass on (especially on the same day). Let us remember these two greats using what they left us with; in the world of cinema, they will eternally remain immortal.

Thank You

-Alex