The Best Intentions movie storyline. In the early 20th century, Henrik Bergman is studying to be a parish minister under the Church of Sweden. A poor man, he meets the wealthy Anna Åkerblom through his friend, Anna’s brother Ernst. Anna is vain and stubborn, and in Henrik’s belief she is elitist, yet she is also attractive and capable of enjoying pleasure. Although Henrik lives in a sexual relationship with Frida, a waitress, Anna seduces him and proposes an engagement.
As Henrik and Anna begin to see more of each other, Henrik secretly continues living with Frida. While speaking with Anna’s mother Karin, Henrik confesses that he feels unwelcome among the Åkerbloms. Karin tells him frankly that she feels Anna needs a mature man who can nurture her, but he is lacking on both counts. Karin also tells Anna that Henrik is still living with Frida, a fact verified by the family. Henrik and Anna stop seeing each other until Frida appeals to Anna to take Henrik back, citing his misery.
While Anna is treated for tuberculosis in Switzerland, a brother is sent to tell Henrik that she no longer wishes to speak to him. However, unknown to her parents, Anna sends a letter to Ernst to be forwarded to Henrik, telling him she wishes to resume their relationship. Her parents receive the letter and Anna’s father Johan opens it, after which Karin reads it and burns it. After Johan dies, Karin confesses the act to Anna, who angrily seeks Henrik. By then, Henrik is planning to go to Forsboda, a remote village in northern Sweden, to work in a parish whose head minister is aged and ailing. Anna resolves to go with him, and they marry despite their class conflicts.
The Bergmans have their first son, Dag, but Henrik becomes embroiled in the local strike action, as he refuses to endorse poor working conditions and lends his church for a socialist meeting. This displeases Nordenson, who also dislikes Bergman’s manner of instruction of Nordenson’s daughters, as Nordenson refuses to kneel with his wife and girls.
In the meantime, the Bergmans take in Petrus, a troubled orphaned boy. Later, Henrik and Anna are unexpectedly summoned to Stockholm to meet Queen Victoria, who chairs a board managing Sophiahemmet hospital and is seeking a chaplain, with the archbishop recommending Henrik. During the meeting, Victoria asks him if he believes suffering is sent by God. He replies suffering is useless and God views the world with horror, and leaves the palace fuming at having to flatter the Queen. The Bergmans decline the position, but the villagers are upset they did not hear of the offer except through rumours, and are disturbed by Henrik publicly humiliating Nordenson in church.
The Best Intentions (Swedish: Den Goda Viljan) is a 1992 Swedish drama film directed by Bille August and written by Ingmar Bergman. It is semi-autobiographical, telling the story of the complex relationship between Bergman’s parents, Erik Bergman and Karin Åkerblom, who are renamed Henrik and Anna in the film but retain their true surnames. The film documents the courtship and the difficult early years of their marriage, until the point when Anna becomes pregnant with their second son, who corresponds to Ingmar himself. Samuel Fröler and Pernilla August played Henrik and Anna, respectively.
Ingmar Bergman wrote the screenplay based on scattered notes and conversations with his parents in their later years. At the time, it was one of the most expensive Swedish films ever made. It can be viewed as a continuation of Bergman’s 1982 film Fanny and Alexander.
After Bergman had ostensibly retired from directing following Fanny and Alexander, he chose August as his director on the strength of the latter’s 1988 Pelle the Conqueror, on condition that Pernilla August be cast as Anna. The film is a condensed version of a four-part Swedish television miniseries that aired in December 1991. It won the Palme d’Or at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.
Ingmar Bergman insisted on the casting of Pernilla Östergren as Anna, after she played Maj in Fanny and Alexander. Bille August had not met her before The Best Intentions, but later married her. Pernilla accepted the role, not knowing it had been written for her, which she said would have frightened her.
Producer Ingrid Dahlberg secured the kr 67 million budget by approaching various broadcasters across Europe. It was estimated to be the most expensive Scandinavian film in history. The Best Intentions took eight months to film, beginning in July 1990.[3] Several locations across Sweden were used, including Stockholm Film Studios,[9] Uppsala County and Tureholm Castle.
The Best Intentions (1992)
Directed by: Bille August
Starring: Pernilla August, Max von Sydow, Ghita Nørby, Björn Kjellman, Björn Granath, Gunilla Nyroos, Eva Gröndahl, Mona Malm, Margaretha Krook, Irma Christenson, Lena Endre, Anita Björk
Screenplay by: Ingmar Bergman
Production Design by: Anna Asp
Cinematography by: Jörgen Persson
Film Editing by: Janus Billeskov Jansen
Costume Design by: Ann Mari Anttila
Set Decoration by: Anna-Lena Hansen
Music by: Björn Linnman, Stefan Nilsson
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Release Date: October 2, 1992 (Sweden)
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