Autumn Sonata (1978)

Autumn Sonata movie storyline. Leonardo, the long time partner of Charlotte, a world renowned concert pianist, has just passed away. Because of Leonardo’s passing, Charlotte’s daughter, Eva, formerly a journalist, has invited her mother for an extended stay at the country home where she lives with her minister husband Viktor. Despite not having seen Eva in seven years as Charlotte is absorbed solely in her own life, Charlotte agrees.

Upon arrival at the parsonage, Charlotte learns that her other daughter, Helena, is now living there with Eva as well. Helena, who is mentally disabled, used to be institutionalized until Eva decided to look after her herself starting two years ago. In some respects, Eva taking care of Helena replaces taking care of her son Erik, who accidentally drowned when he was four. Eva takes solace in believing that Erik is still a major part of her life despite his death.

Charlotte also has not seen Helena in quite some time, and Eva surmises that if Charlotte knew that Helena was there, she probably would not have come. Despite telling Eva otherwise, Charlotte in private does mention her displeasure at seeing Helena there. As Eva spends more time with her mother, who she believes is a calculating woman whose actions always have a meaning behind them, her feelings from childhood re-emerge, of which she tells her mother and which she knows have shaped the unhappy person she is today. That unhappiness also has affected the way she views her marriage. Charlotte, in turn, explains the reasons for the way that she is in life.

Autumn Sonata (Swedish: Höstsonaten, German: Herbstsonate) is a 1978 drama film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, and starring Ingrid Bergman (in her final film role), Liv Ullmann and Lena Nyman. Its plot follows a celebrated classical pianist and her neglected daughter who meet for the first time in years, and chronicles their painful discussions of how they have hurt one another. Autumn Sonata was the last of Bergman’s films to be made for theatrical exhibition; all of his films made after it, even those screened in theatres, were television productions.

Directed by: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Ingrid Bergman, Liv Ullmann, Lena Nyman, Halvar Björk, Marianne Aminoff, Arne Bang-Hansen, Gunnar Björnstrand, Erland Josephson, Georg Løkkeberg, Mimi Pollak, Linn Ullmann
Screenplay by: Ingmar Bergman
Production Design by: Anna Asp
Cinematography by: Sven Nykvist
Film Editing by: Sylvia Ingemarsson
Costume Design by: Inger Pehrsson
Music by: Frédéric Chopin
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Constantin Film
Release Date: October 8, 1978 (Sweden