Examine the tension between life 'in the city' and life 'in nature' as depicted in Ingmar Bergman's film Summer with Monika.
Examine the tension between life ‘in the city’ and life ‘in nature’ as depicted in Ingmar Bergman’s film Summer with Monika.
Set in 1950s Sweden, ‘Summer with Monika’ is a film which, through various technological and plot related methods brings up the contemporary issue of conflict between urban living and a more traditional life style. Bergman employs multiple cinematic techniques as well as paralleling the urban versus rural tension through the artificial and strained relationship of the two protagonists and ‘lover’; Monika and Harry. Although their relationship ends with the inarguable fact that their opposites have prevailed and affections diminished, the way Bergman represents the two settings as initially of having stark differences, but then occasionally making suggestions of their harmonious similarities, leaves the audience feeling a little conclusive about the relationship between the two environments.
The opening sequence is perhaps one of the most important to analyse in terms of the city is represented. The first montage introduces the audience to the city’s boundaries; softly focused establishing shots looking out from the harbour create a calming impression of the environment for the audience. The lack of non-diagetic music and the slow fading dissolves between shots also add to the feeling of serene naturalness of the less built up world. The last dissolve ends the tranquillity and heightens the difference of the next shot as the audience then find themselves looking at the city, from a low angle, facing a line of fast moving, noisy traffic. This representation of the city is a realistic one, they are busy places, they do contain more modern transport. However the clever juxtaposition of the shot creates an association of discomfort with the city, placing the quiet life in the audiences favour. The sea based montage is important as it introduces the issue of the protagonists escape, but it is in the city that we first meet our lead male. Harry is introduced whilst travelling at the head of the traffic in an open cart, with a lorry placed behind him. The medium shot allows for examination of his expression and it can be perceived that Harry being chased by the lorry, possibly a metaphor to show that the city is a competitive place with obvious contrasts amongst its population as to their survival in the city. The camera is then placed behind Harry as we see him struggling up the road with his cart; a suggestion that life in the city is also an uphill effort. Within the first few minutes then we are already shown that the two environments offer very different lifestyles, and one more favourable than the other.
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This is a clever, but somewhat forced and flawed argument. The writing is good and the observations are occasionally very perceptive, but the rather too literal and concrete distinction that the author is trying to draw between "natural" and "urban" leads them to mischaracterise Bergman's true ideological argument. It is true that this is a film about the dream of "escape to the country" that is experienced by so many alienated working class youths, and that Bergman made it as a kind of gentle protest against some of the results of the industrialisation that was eroding the traditional lifestyle of rural Sweden. All in all, a very interesting argument, with many more merits than flaws. 3 stars.