Director: Ingrid Bergman
One of Bergman's early offerings, good nevertheless. Here it is not about the silence of Creator but rather of the complicated dynamics of family life, specifically man and wife and its complexities.
The film starts with a violinist being interrupted from performing when an important phone call comes in. The call is for Stig. He receives a rather bad news about the death of his wife in a kitchen accident. The story goes back to 7 years previously...
A rather timid man, Stig, is a violinist in a philharmonic orchestra. He soon develops feelings for the only female violinist, Martha, in the group. Even though there were other suitors, Martha decides to settle down with Stig for his simplicity and straightforwardness.
Stig has big plans for his career, being a soloist and playing in Stockholm. Unfortunately, his skills do not match his ambitions. One by one, things happen and the young man is more disheartened. Martha gets pregnant and he is drawn into a hasty marriage. Even though Martha is doting wife, Stig is still listless. Inadvertently, he outpours his resentments of his failure on his wife.The seemingly loving couple can be seen slowly growing apart.
Along comes an acquaintance and his flirtatious young wife. In the heat of the moment, he caves in and an affair ensues.
Martha, upon discovering the liaison, leaves with kids (2 by then).
The separation and the discovery of the mess that the affair had brought him, he repents. Letters after letters, Martha and Stig get back together, with the kids too. And later, the accident...
The movie ends with his orchestra's rendition of Beethoven's classics.
Quotable quote: We second-raters also necessary. Without worker bees, no beehive!
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