have see at least a couple dozen bergman film and this biographical movie make a lot more sense to me than if i hadn not . i could see bit and piece of his other film and particularly parallel with fanny and alexander . this movie be write by but not direct by ingmar bergman and tell about a portion of his father and mother life ( with particular focus on the father ) . however and unlike the cruel and over zealous preacher from fanny and alexander and bergman father be a flawed man full of dichotomy . a very pious and severe man with little sense of humor and he also apparently have no problem with premarital sex ( with two different woman ) and be an advocate for the working poor . i think these inconsistency and his father difficulty with express normal human emotion lead to bergman early work ( such a the professor in wild strawberry and the persistent theme of living in the barren wild in movie such a the passion of anna and shame ) . so and why do not i score the movie high . well despite the insight and the movie be very long and occasionally tedious particularly for the bergman novice . plus and although the movie give u some insight and the actual span of time cover in the film be rather limited . it be like a glimpse but an incomplete glimpse of the man .