Winter Light (Swedish: Nattvardsgästerna, meaning "The Communicants") is a 1963 film by Ingmar Bergman, starring Gunnar Björnstrand and Ingrid Thulin. It is the second entry in his "Silence of God" trilogy, succeeding Through a Glass Darkly and preceeding Tystnaden.
The film focuses on Tomas Ericsson (Björnstrand), a pastor who experiences an existential crisis over God's silence. Taking place largely between two of Ericsson's services, the film focuses upon the characters' struggles with the meaninglessness of existence, though there is a simple plot. After mechanically performing a service, he is approached by a fisherman (Max von Sydow) who is terrified by the prospect of nuclear annihilation and seeks spiritual comfort. To him, Ericsson can only offer his uncertainty. Märta Lundberg (Thulin), a schoolmarm, makes romantic overtures to Ericsson, but he does not reciprocate her love. The film concludes with Ericsson emptily performing a service after an assistant tells him of his troubles with the passion story, and how Jesus thought God had forsaken him on the cross.
Tropes
- Bearer of Bad News: Ericsson has to tell Jonas' wife that he's shot himself and is unable to offer any form of consolation.Karin: I'm sure you did all you could, Reverend.
- Book Ends: The film starts and ends with Ericsson performing part of a service.
- Call-Back: As in Through a Glass Darkly, God is referred to as a spider. Towards the end, the drunk cantor mockingly repeats the Aesop from that film about "love being the proof of God."
- Classical Anti-Hero: Ericsson. Because of his own doubts about God, he cannot offer any consolation for Jonas, and he is unable to find any meaning for his existence, retreating into the motions of being a pastor.
- Crisis of Faith: The topic of the film. Over the course of it, Ericsson and the parishioners struggle to find meaning in a meaningless, often painful, existence in which God is silent.
- Downer Ending: Tomas ends the movie in the same state of doubt that he has at the beginning.
- Driven to Suicide: Jonas commits suicide out of fear of nuclear Armageddon after the pastor fails to comfort him.
- Egocentrically Religious: Tomas admits that his faith was this; he thought that God loved him more than anyone else.
- Evil Stole My Faith: Tomas served in Lisbon during the Spanish Civil War and, while attempting to counsel Jonas, admits that he ignored the atrocities there because of his inability to reconcile those with an all-loving God. Eventually, Tomas admits that he lost his faith because of this.
- Extremely Short Timespan: The story takes place over the course of a few hours.
- Hidden Disdain Reveal: Towards the end of the film, Ericsson makes his feelings towards Marta clear after one too many of her advances on him; not only does he not reciprocate, he in fact hates her due to, among other petty things, her nearsightedness and her eczema, and her demeanor towards him coming off as a parody of his dead wife's.
- Hopeless Suitor: Märta Lundberg for Tomas. As a Protestant (Lutheran) pastor, Tomas could marry her, but he is not willing.
- It's All About Me: When Ericsson tries to comfort Jonas, he's unable to stop speaking about his own crisis of faith, culminating in him blurting out what a relief it would be if God didn't exist so life would make sense and death would be nothing but a snuffing out. Jonas promptly goes off and shoots himself.
- The Lost Lenore: Part of Tomas' troubles have to do with the fact that his wife has been dead for four years and he can't get over her. This is also why he's disinterested in Märta.
- Meaningful Name: The doubting priest is, of course, named Tomas.
- The Obstructive Love Interest: Märta Lundberg for Tomas.
- The Resenter: Ericsson, towards Jesus of all people.Bergman: He has a hatred of Jesus that he can't admit to anyone. He's jealous of Christ. Something like the dutiful son's hatred towards the prodigal son, who gets all the father's attention when he finally comes home.
- Voiceover Letter: An unusual example in that Märta's voiceover letter to Tomas isn't presented as the typical voiceover, but with Märta onscreen, looking straight into a camera and delivering the entire letter in an extended monologue.
