The thin line which separates....

Through a Glass Darkly* (Såsom i en spegel, 1961; Swedish)
Written and Directed by Ingmar Bergman
This is one of the three movies made by Bergman on spiritualism. The mark of this great director is seen in the make of the film which involves 4 characters and a film which spans only a single day. It goes on to suggest (at least in my mind) that there is a very thin line which separates insanity and religious fanaticism!

It starts with the main characters swimming - Karin, her husband Martin, her 17 year old brother Minus and her father David. We slowly realize that Karin is suffering from schizophrenia whose prognosis appears guarded and incurable. Minus has some teenage issues of his own, unable to find a girlfriend. Martin is the only one who seem to be strong. David,  writer, has just returned from Switzerland to be with the family before leaving again. 

We are also told that Karin's mother had died earlier due to the same illness that struck Karin, and the one that drove a grieving David into self imposed exile, neglecting his children. He almost drove himself to suicide but failed only to mechanical reasons. His love for the remaining members of the family is the only thing that drove him to live.

In the meantime, Karin is hallucinating of hearing God through the crack of the torn wall-paper. In spite her struggle, the force is overwhelming driving her to do things beyond her control.

In the morning when both Martin and David were out in sea, fishing, Karin goes into one of her exacerbation of her illness. She runs and hides in a damaged yacht stranded by the shore. Her brother, Minus, goes in search of her. One thing lead to another and the two indulge in an incestuous relationship. When she comes around, she realizes that she cannot be living in two worlds but be in one and must be institutionalized. 

Minus, the other guilty party finds it hard to come in terms with his action. He fears the wrath of God.

Finally, in the final scene, David has a heart to heart talk with his son. Just as his previous experience when he hit a brick wall, he told his son that the God is love and love is God, we live for and with the love of the people we love.

An interesting movie with with rather subtle connotations and messages. Most of the story is left to our imagination. Even though the story may touch on some touchy subjects, all actors are fully clothed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Through_a_Glass_Darkly_(film)
* The title is from a biblical passage (1 Corinthians 13) in which seeing through a glass darkly refers to our understanding of God when we are alive; the view will only be clear when we die. [Wikipedia]