WORLD CINEMA: Summer with Monika (1953)

For my second installment of the WORLD CINEMA series, how about we have a stroll through Sweden’s working class towns with Ingmar Bergman’s Summer with Monika (1953)?

A refreshingly honest look at teenage love beyond its summer timeframe, Summer with Monika follows a young teenage couple, Harry (Lars Ekborg) and Monika (Harriet Andersson) as they spend an idyllic summer together sailing on Harry’s father’s boat, away from their hometown, family and boring jobs. When the summer comes to an end, however, and Monika discovers she’s pregant, they are left with the growing responsibilities that neither of them could have predicted.

Summer with Monika has one of Bergman’s simplest plots while holding so much meaning at the same time and exploring its contrasting elements effectively: Monika’s carefree rebellion vs Harry’s responsible easy-going attitude, the town’s old-fashioned ways vs the couple’s desire to be free, and, of course, the longing for a summer love affair vs what happens when it’s over and life returns… Framed by some of the most gorgeous cinematography ever put on film, Summer with Monika puts Harriet Andersson right in the middle of it, with its candid depiction of sensuality and nudity, which was very controversial at the time. Not only that but it also deserves credit for making its main character unlikeable, unashamed and human. In one of the movie’s most devastating scenes, Monika dares you to judge her with an intense, piercing look at the camera that takes the whole ‘breaking the fourth wall’ motif to a whole new level! In a word, stunning.

Binge-worthy YouTube movie channels

I spend a ridiculous amount of time doing nothing. And part of that consists of watching videos on YouTube about movies and television and because the theme here at the Garden this year is unity and coming together, I want to share a few of my favorite movie YouTubers with you. Film nerds unite! Let’s go.

Eyebrow Cinema – In-depth script analysis, storytelling, characters, themes and motifs, you’ll find everything here! Eyebrow Cinema dissects films of all kinds intelligently and with a refreshingly straight-forward attitude. Eyebrow Cinema – YouTube

One Hundred Years of Cinema – Tracking the evolution of cinema through the years starting in 1915, OHYOC focuses on one movie per year, why it’s great and how it achieved its place in film history. 1941 goes to Citizen Kane and ’42 to Casablanca, unsurprisingly, but there are some unusual choices along the way! One Hundred Years of Cinema – YouTube

Jack’s Movie Reviews – Not unlike Eyebrow Cinema, the narrator explores storytelling and screenplays, as well as broad themes and, sometimes, entire genres. Their essay about the screenplay of Chinatown is particularly good. Jack’s Movie Reviews – YouTube

Be Kind Rewind – each video is about a different Best Actress Oscar win, comprehensively going through the history of the nominees, circumstances, individual films and Hollywood politics that made each win possible. The narration is fantastic, exuding knowledge and a touch of humor that frankly makes this channel addictive. Be Kind Rewind – YouTube

CineFix – They navigate through cinema’s history with ease and confidence, compiling massive lists including Influential Directors, Wardrobe and Rule-Breaking Films, with enourmous knowledge and genuine admiration. In an ideal world, movie talk would be like this, open-minded and non-discriminatory. Classic, modern, Hollywood, international, iconic, obscure, anything goes on this channel! Simply put, CineFix is what every movie buff should aspire to be. CineFix – YouTube

Happy binging, everyone!

One Hundred Years of Cinema – Tracking the evolution of cinema through the years starting in 1915, OHYOC focuses on one movie per year, why it’s great and how it achieved its place in film history. 1941 goes to Citizen Kane and ’42 to Casablanca, unsurprisingly, but there are some unusual choices along the way!