While Ode to Joy is undoubtedly the gem of Eclipse's Early Bergman box set, Thirst is a close second, at least in my mind. It's kind of a precursor to Scenes of a Marriage, where the story follows a married couple (played by Eva Henning and Birger Malmsten) on a train trip through war-torn Europe. The tumult of the film comes not from the mostly ignored outside world, but from the rocky marriage itself. We also get glimpses of the couple's former lovers. The film is at its best when sticking to the couple. When it strays to the stories of side characters, it's weaker. Since the film is so short (just over 80 minutes),you have to wonder if some of the tangential stories were added as padding. But even the scenes that don't add much are well written, acted and directed. Henning gives a masterful performance, and Bergman was really coming into his own by this point.

I have seen a ton of Ingmar Bergman's films. A few of them were brilliant, a few were terrible but one thing I can say about just about all of them is that they were unpleasant. This is NOT a criticism--just a fact that Bergman chose to make films about unpleasant things--marital infidelity, alienation, mental illness and death--such was the repertoire of Bergman. Many people adore the man's work. As for me, I appreciate his films (especially "Wild Strawberries", "Autumn Sonata" and "The Seventh Seal") but would like to see more films like "The Devil's Eye"--a much more lighthearted and occasionally fun sort of film.

"Thirst" is oppressively dark and unpleasant. And, typical of many of his films, you really don't like anyone. Instead, it's like you are a fly on the wall staring at people who are miserable--with no resolution--just alienation and unhappiness.

The film is about a married couple who really don't like each other--but in an odd way they love each other. Both have had affairs and both seem resigned to living out their lives together--like it or not. I could say more, but frankly don't feel like it--suffice to say they are miserable and ill-matched and desperately in need to therapy.

This is an odd movie because later in the film there is another plot involving alienation and depression. But, oddly, this plot appears out of the blue and never really is fleshed out at all. It really looks like the film originally had two parallel stories and they edited out much of the second one. It should have either been removed completely or developed properly. Either way, it just didn't work and I wanted to a lot more about the weird therapist the lady saw as well as the lesbian angle--but both appear and disappear just as quickly.

This is a film for lovers of Bergman. For others, if you want an unpleasant film, see one of Bergman's better films. Life is too short to watch a stead diet of films like this.

Ingmar Bergman very quickly became one of my favourite directors. Have only been familiar with him since 2012 which was around the period when my film and television taste started to broaden, but it was easy to be intrigued by his distinctive directing style so it was easy to get into his work. Not all his films are great and he was not immune from misfires, but many of them are very, very good and even masterpieces, it is not hard to see why he became such a big influence in cinema.

None of Bergman's late-40s films, when he was still learning his craft and finding his style, are among his best work. It was around the early-mid-50s when he began to come into his own. His early films are still interesting though and there are not really any duds. The most commercially successful of Bergman's early films, 'Three Strange Loves' as called in my country is certainly very intriguing and it is well done in a lot of areas. The story is very flawed and something of a big caveat but 'Three Strange Loves' is fine from a directing standpoint and has a lot to recommend.

'Three Strange Loves' story could have been executed better. The structure is very jumpy, with some constant backing and forthing that was sometimes hard to follow. The flashbacks intrigue mostly but occasionally drag and some could have been placed better and not as randomly introduced or as fragmented.

Do agree as well that the supporting characters' subplots are not as involving as that of the central couple. Some are also not as necessary or as cohesive as others and feel like padding.

On the other hand, 'Three Strange Loves' is well made visually, with the photography being both stylish and atmospheric. Bergman's directing was becoming more refined all the time and there are enough glimmers of brilliance, one can see his distinctive style coming through in some of the more symbolic imagery. The music complements the tone very well and fits appropriately. The script is thought-provoking and sometimes poetic.

Although the story's execution could have been much better, it fascinates thematically with heavy themes not trivialised and actually pretty daringly uncompromising. The tone, revolving around an ahead-of-its-time and not as frequently portrayed back then subject, is bleak and purposefully not a pleasant watch, but the central couple plot is often harrowing and has genuine moments of poignancy. Complete with a strongly written female lead character and the two lead performances are quite powerful.

In a nutshell, well done early on but Bergman went on to much better things. 7/10