The Best Intentions

1992 [SWEDISH]

Biography / Drama / Romance

Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 87% · 16 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 87% · 500 ratings
IMDb Rating 7.7/10 10 3728 3.7K

biography theology student family chronicle

Plot summary

In this film about Ingmar Bergman's parents, Henrik Bergman is studying for the priesthood and trying to make ends meet when he encounters the lovely, affluent Anna. Despite their social differences, Henrik and Anna fall in love, wed and move to the country. They lead a quiet life as Henrik works as a priest, but it isn't long before the simple people and plain surroundings make Anna long for a more lavish lifestyle, which causes marital stress.

Director

Bille August Photo
Bille August

Top cast

Bertil Norström Photo
Bertil Norström as Pastor Primarius
Björn Gustafson Photo
Björn Gustafson as Jesper Jakobsson
Lennart Hjulström Photo
Lennart Hjulström as Disponent Nordenson
Max von Sydow Photo
Max von Sydow as Johan Åkerblom
720p.BluRay
1.63 GB
1280*722
Swedish 2.0
NR
Subtitles sv  
23.976 fps
3 hr 1 min
Seeds ...

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by 9 / 10

Beautiful, compelling and thought-provoking film

In this film, we meet Henrik Bergman, a good but flawed man who seeks to serve God. We are also introduced to Anna, his future wife and mother of Ingmar Bergman. Henrik makes do with very little, but will not sacrifice his pride in order to enjoy a better life. He is a man of deep convictions. Anna, on the other hand, is accustomed to the finer things life has to offer, and will not be denied her desires.Henrik and Anna have to clear many hurdles, some of their own making, before they marry and move to a forbidding town in northern Sweden where they gracefully undertake their duties as the new religious leaders. It is specially in this part of the movie that we are shown the human frailties of those who represent the church and guide the flock. The best intentions (although the title does not necessarily refer to this) do not saints make. One has to strive to become a better person on a daily basis, and realize one's shortcomings. The characters in this movie do, and it makes one able to better relate to them.Like the locomotives one sees so often steaming through the glorious landscapes of this story, this movie starts chugging slowly at first - although never boring -- and barrels full steam ahead during the second half. The entire movie is 181 minutes. I recommend it highly, giving it 9/10.
Reviewed by 9 / 10

Intense, Bergman written study of the challenges of love

An intelligent, very well made story of love and conflict across a number of years in early 20th century Sweden. Written by Ingmar Bergman, it feels like one of his films, if perhaps slightly less brilliantly realized. But the complex love and marriage of Henrik and Anna is always absorbing (if occasionally melodramatic), and these are both complicated, full individuals (and performances) heartbreaking one moment, infuriating and selfish the next. Beautifully shot, acted with honesty and intensity, this 3 hour film captures just how hard it is for two people to be both themselves and a couple.
Reviewed by 8 / 10

When the film's called "The Best Intentions," you know it's going to be an unhappy story

The winner of the Palme d'Or in 1992, The Best Intentions gave Danish director Bille August his second win of the highest award of the most prestigious film festival in the world, for a film Ingmar Bergman had written. Bergman himself never won the award and didn't direct The Best Intentions, even though he was still directing two decades after his fictional retirement with Fanny and Alexander (1982). If most people in English-speaking countries have never heard of The Best Intentions, there may be a reason- the vast majority would find a three-hour, subtitled unhappy marriage drama unappealing and boring. To some, however, there is a lot to recommend here.The film touches on issues of faith, the role of church in a changing society, a deteriorating marriage- many topics of which appear throughout Bergman's filmography. A priest struggles on the outskirts of the world in a small community, believing he might do some good, but his wife is deeply unhappy. There are some conflicts with locals who do not like him, including for renting out the church for socialist meetings. Henrik himself is no saint, not particularly deep, sometimes violent against his wife- aspects we see of him as the fictionalized Edvard in Fanny and Alexander. But here we see him suffer a lot more, and it inspires sympathy. Edvard also suffers and I felt sympathy for him too, but Fanny and Alexander is not his film. In a way, The Best Intentions feels like both Ingmar's criticism and reconciliation with his deeply flawed parents.The Petrus subplot also inspires sympathy and shock- the running to the stream scene is by far the most intense part of the film. It's definitely worth a mention, even if it makes a small part of the running time.
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