Ingmar Bergman's "Gycklarnas Afton" aka "Sawdust and Tinsel aka "The Naked Night" (1953) is a sad tale of passion, jealousy, betrayal, and humiliation set in a shabby traveling circus in the beginning of 20Th century in Sweden. When it was originally released in 1953, the movie met the fierce controversy and misunderstanding from both the critics and the viewers. Even now, more than fifty years later, Bergman remembers what one of the critics said about "Sawdust and Tinsel", "I refuse to make an ocular inspection of Mr. Bergman's latest vomit." The master said that he's always liked the film and it was enough for me to try to find and watch it.
The story itself is not original and has been told many times - it concerns the aging circus owner who fell under the spell of his young and breathtakingly sensual mistress Anna (Harriet Anderson - God Almighty and who would not? If ever any woman could change my sexual orientation, it would've been Anderson of "Dreams", "Smiles of a Summer Night", and "Sawdust and Tinsel". Those dark deep eyes - one minute, the big and naive eyes of a little sweet girl, next second - elongated promising eyes of a natural born seductress, enchantress, and a heart breaker. Her lips, long dark hair, and the body of a dancer and a model make her the embodiment of irresistible femininity.
Filled with the images of exquisite elegance, photographed in striking black and white colors, this study of a love triangle - circus manager loses his mistress to an attractive, young but sadistic actor while trying (without a success) to reconcile with his ex-wife - leads to a powerful and devastating climax. The guns put to one's head may not fire at the end of the naked night but the feelings of despair, hopelessness, and humiliation are overwhelming and not easily shaken.
7.5/10
The story itself is not original and has been told many times - it concerns the aging circus owner who fell under the spell of his young and breathtakingly sensual mistress Anna (Harriet Anderson - God Almighty and who would not? If ever any woman could change my sexual orientation, it would've been Anderson of "Dreams", "Smiles of a Summer Night", and "Sawdust and Tinsel". Those dark deep eyes - one minute, the big and naive eyes of a little sweet girl, next second - elongated promising eyes of a natural born seductress, enchantress, and a heart breaker. Her lips, long dark hair, and the body of a dancer and a model make her the embodiment of irresistible femininity.
Filled with the images of exquisite elegance, photographed in striking black and white colors, this study of a love triangle - circus manager loses his mistress to an attractive, young but sadistic actor while trying (without a success) to reconcile with his ex-wife - leads to a powerful and devastating climax. The guns put to one's head may not fire at the end of the naked night but the feelings of despair, hopelessness, and humiliation are overwhelming and not easily shaken.
7.5/10