After the Rehearsal (1984) review

Theatre director Henrik (Erland Josephson) is staging a production of Strindberg's A Dream Play and has a long discussion with his lead actress, Anna (Lena Olin) before drifting off and recalling a past incident with Anna's mother Rakel (Ingrid Thulin), who was also a performer before she left the profession.  Bergman is unfortunately out of vogue at the moment but even this, a 'minor' effort made for Swedish television, showcases an absolutely brilliant mind at work: for many, it may be too heavy and philosophical, but it's a fine example of filmed theatre (Sven Nykvist, as always, deserves a lot of praise) with expertly paced delivery by his three leads.  Josephson, as always, is a commanding presence - it's interesting to see how his armor ("I don't participate in the drama, I give it material form") gets chipped away at by his much younger protégé.