It is because of movies such as this one that Ingmar Bergman is so far ahead of so many other filmmakers. In barely an hour and a half of runtime, he is absolutely capable to present to the audience the relationship that three different generations (children, youth and adults) have in regards to love, employment and society as a whole. Although it may seem that the film is purely centred on the romantic relationship between the two leads (Harriet Andersson as Monika and Lars Ekborg as Lund, making it an unconventional coming of age (youth to adulthood) type of movie, the reality is that it is so much more than this.

All those aspects and concepts are superbly conveyed through Bergman’s direction and Gunnar Fischer’s photography, giving a masterclass on how to tell a story through visual means like no other. Either being in a urban environment, indoors, at the sea or in the forest, through close-ups or wide shots, through a proximate or voyeuristic style, or using either explicit or implicit imagery, the approach selected is always on point and succeeds in keeping you attentive to the story and swallowing you into it.

At the same time, without any doubt, the impeccable performances by Andersson and Ekborg have also a great deal of importance to this last mentioned element. Perfectly acting as two clear opposites that, to a certain extent, attract each other, they completely grab you by the neck and don’t let you go even after having watched the picture with their soulful and intense interpretations, full of realism and naturalism.

In conclusion, a major accomplishment in filmmaking from which many films could have learned and should learn a lot. As it perfectly embodies what a great picture should be: profound, visually stunning, engaging and entertaining. Once the end credits start rolling you’ll be left with goosebumps.