At Christmas time at the turn of the century, the Ekdahl family and their servants have a merry time dancing, forgetting social rules. Later that night, the maid tucks 10-year-old Alexander into bed, apologising for being unable to stay the night with him as duty calls - duty being the bed of Alexander's Uncle Carl, whose wife tolerates his little flings. However Alexander's idyllic childhood is shattered when his actor-manager father suddenly has a heart attack and dies. His widow, Emilie, is comforted in her grief by a bishop, whom she eventually marries. Alexander and his sister Fanny are forced to leave the happy, warm home of their childhood and join their mother in the cold, dour world of the clergyman's house.
Review:
For once, a surprisingly happy, even magical, film from the usually gloomy Bergman, which attains the remarkable achievement of recreating life in a Swedish village at the turn-of-the-century as seen through the eyes of a child. Oscar winner for best foreign film, art direction, costumes and photography.