Podcasts TV Spine 237: Smiles of a Summer Night

Spine 237: Smiles of a Summer Night

Published: May 13, 2017, 1:15 a.m.

Many of Ingmar Bergman's films could be called comedies in the existential cosmic absurdism sense, but Smiles of a Summer Night (1955) is a romantic comedy sex romp with shades of Oscar Wilde. It was Bergman's big break. He'd been making films for over a decade with nothing landing with an audience. He was at his wits end, even thought he was dying, and desperately needed a win. Which he definitely got here.