Summer with Monika (1953)
An equally lovingly sweet and tragic classic story of young love. For a film from the 1950s, it was impressive to see the female character being the one who clearly takes the sexual lead. It is clear that Bergman wanted Harriet Andersson at the center of the film and she delivers. The narrative perfectly the intoxication of falling in love when you are very young, where you are certain you have everything figured out and the rest of the world can basically go to hell. Then reality hits and responsibility and self-sufficiency is harder than first imagined. Bergman’s version of a coming of age film.
Rating: 3.5