Beroringen / The Touch (1971), Ingmar Bergman (1971) DVD9 and Blu-Ray BFI, download for free

Mar15

Beroringen / The Touch (1971), Ingmar Bergman (1971) DVD9 and Blu-Ray BFI

by movieworld on March 15th, 2019 at 13:06

Karin (played by Bibi Andersson) and her husband Andreas (played by Max von Sydow befriend David (played by Elliott Gould), an American archaeologist temporarily working in their town in Sweden to excavate by a local church. David makes a bold gesture by confessing that he has fallen in love with Karin ever since he first saw her. Karin is basically flattered but does not see it as an offer as she is a married mother of two and happily so. Or is she? Her sex life has become stagnant after fifteen years of marriage and every day has become routine. Plus with the death of her mother from not too long ago she has never fully recovered emotionally from the tragedy.

David and Karin begin a romantic relationship in secret but it is not only Karin who is emotionally stricken. David is also a broken soul. He was born in Germany and was able to escape from the wartime atrocities but most of his Jewish relatives were wiped out in the Holocaust, and even as an adult still unable to get over the anger and trauma of war. Will the two find their way together towards happiness or will their secret romance fueled by trauma lead to more broken hearts?

Director: Ingmar Bergman
Cast: Elliott Gould, Bibi Andersson, Max von Sydow
Country: USA, Sweden
Genre: Drama

BD50, DVD9 | 1080p AVC, PAL | 01:55:24 | 40.2 Gb + 7.88 Gb + 3% rec
Language: Svenska
Subtitles: English (only for non-English parts)

Extras:

• Ingmar Bergman 1971 documentary (53 min)
While "The Touch" was for a long time one of the hardest-to-see works by Bergman, this 1971 documentary was even rarer to see. Directed by Stig Bjorkman, it is a wonderful behind the scenes look at the making of "The Touch", featuring behind the scenes footage, rehearsals, camera tests, plus interviews with Bergman, Gould, Von Sydow, and Andersson. Bergman discusses some of his creative processes while the actors discuss what it is like working with the director. Gould obviously speaks English while the rest speak in Swedish. The film was shot in 16mm and the high definition transfer was provided by the Swedish Film Institute, looking exceptional as well.
in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Swedish/English LPCM 2.0 with optional English subtitles for the Swedish portions

• Liv Ullmann in Conversation interview (71:57)
Frequent Bergman collaborator Liv Ullmann appears on stage at a 2018 Bergman Q&A at the BFI Southbank, interviewed by Michael Muncer. In the fairly lengthy talk, she recalls Bergman's last days, how many of his works echoed his own life, as well as personal stories about herself getting into acting, her many roles in Bergman's film as well as other films, directing Bergman's script of "Trolosa" and much more.
in 1080i 60hz AVC-MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English LPCM 2.0 with no subtitles

• Sheila Reid: The Touch interview (20:39)
Actress Sheila Reid has the distinction of being the only British actress cast in an Ingmar Bergman film. Although her role in "The Touch" was for one scene lasting only a few minutes, she was still one of the top credited in the production. She recalls her early stage career, meeting Bergman, and about her part in the film and how she interprets the character.
in 1080p AVC-MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English LPCM 2.0 with no subtitles