Sawdust and Tinsel is a 1953 film by Ingmar Bergman. Its original Swedish title is Gycklarnas afton.
It is dedicated to the troupe of the wandering circus. One day they arrive in the town where the former wife of the circus director whom he left three years lives. The troupe members are bound to find many humiliations in this small Swedish town.
Tropes:
- As You Know: The story about Frost and Alma told by the owner of the circus in the beginning.
- Circus of Fear: Definitely averted here as the members of the troupe are harassed by the outsiders in this film.
- Jerkass: The theatre director who despises circus and its artist. He considers circus non-art and believes that the worst theatre artists are still superior to the circus artists.
- Kick the Dog: In the end the director of the circus shoots the circus bear out of sheer rage.
- May–December Romance: The romance between Albert and Anna.
- The Reason You Suck: The theatre director delivers an extremely humiliating speach to the director of circus who arrived to him to ask to lend them costumes. Immediately after delivering this speach the theatre man borrows the desired costumes to the circus man.
- Wimp Fight: The fight on the circus arena between Albert and Frans. Frans wins but he is not exactly a master. Albert even less so, he is heavy but very clumsy.
