Through a Glass Darkly

In this the first film in Bergman's trilogy (Winter Light, The Silence), Karin, recently discharged from a psychiatric hospital, shares an island holiday with three men: her father (David), her brother (Minus), and her husband (Martin). Supposedly in remission from unspecified mental illness she behaves normally most of the time with no sign of thought or mood disorder except for playfully tormenting her 17 year old brother and occasionally describing or responding to hallucinations and fantasies (delusions?).

From as early as 0:05 Karin observes that her hearing has been "more acute" since her treatments (ECT?), explaining why she, but not Minus, hears the call of a cuckoo. We sometimes hear fog horns, for example, but we can only guess whether she hallucinates them.

David and Martin discuss her treatment and the fact that she may not fully recover.

0:13 After presenting poorly chosen gifts to the other three, David, who has returned from Switzerland, cries alone, hinting at how he feels about having spent so much time away from his children. We become aware that we know nothing about the mother.

0:17 Karin and Minus perform a play written by Minus. Karin's character, already dead, beseeches him to join her in death. He agrees, but chooses life in the end.

0:27 Karin, unable to sleep, climbs the stairs to an empty, dilapidated room where she seems to hear unintelligible whispers through the wall and seems to silently mouth words back to them before she falls to her knees, apparently overcome with emotion. She goes to her father's room. He is working at his writing but stops to put her to sleep in his bed.

0:36 David has left his room. Karin finds a journal in his desk, reads that her illness is incurable and his description of curiosity in observing her gradual deterioration which he will use, presumably for a story.

0:40 Suggesting loss of libido, Karin, kissed by Martin, assures him that her "desire will come back."

0:47 Karin describes her fantasies and the voices to her brother. She cries and tells him she is sure God will come. She tells him she will give up Martin, but that Minus should not tell him.

0:55 On a boat together Martin attacks David for his character flaws. David accuses him of wishing Karin dead, but then describes his own suicide attempt in Switzerland. He tried to drive his car over a cliff, but it stallsed. He alludes to a secret.

1:03 Karin runs away from Minus but he finds her in the hulk of a wrecked ship where she seduces him.

1:08 Karin tells David she wants to stay in the hospital but with no more ECT.

1:09 Karin, apparently referring to incest with Minus, tells David a voice ordered her to do it. She describes her fantasies to him.

1:11 David describes guilt at enjoying success in his career at the time Karin's mother died. He suggests Karin inherited her mother's illness.

1:17 Karin in the upstairs room conversing with unseen others.

1:20 We hear, then see, the helicopter ambulance arrive. Karin screams, cowers in a corner, appears terrified.

1:21 While Minus and David hold her on the stairs Martin injects a drug in her leg. She appears sedated, then describes her vision of God emerging as a spider, crawling onto her and attempting to force itself on her. Unable to "penetrate" her it crawls away onto the wall.

command hallucination | hallucination | mental disorder | psychosis | schizophrenia | suicide