The Stage

Pioneering director Ingmar Bergman dies

Published Monday 30 July 2007 at 11:05 by Patrick Newley

Legendary film and theatre director Ingmar Bergman died today at the age of 89.

One of the key figures in modern cinema, he was best known for films such as The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries, Cries and Whispers and Fanny and Alexander.

He won three Oscars for best foreign language film between 1961 and 1981, for The Virgin Spring, Through a Glass Darkly and Fanny and Alexander.

Bergman won international acclaim in the world of theatre and in 1987 his production of Hamlet was seen at the National Theatre.

He led an amateur theatre group while still at university in Sweden and later took over theatres in Halsingbog (1944-46) and Gostheburg (1946-49).

His early successes included his own play, Kasper’s Death (1942), and Caligula (1946). He was known for his ground-breaking productions of Strindberg, Chekhov, Brecht and Ibsen.

He once said, “The theatre is like a faithful wife. The film is the great adventure - the costly, exacting mistress.” Married four times, his lovers included Harriey Anderson and Bibi Andersson, and he had a daughter with actress Liv Ullmann.

This year is The Seventh Seal’s 50th anniversary and it has recently been re-released in selected cinemas.