Sunday, June 12, 2011

Gunnar Fischer 1910-2011

Gunnar Fischer is dead according to Dagens Nyheter.

His place in film history is secure on the strength of his work with Ingmar Bergman: Hamnstad (Port of Call, 1948), Törst (Thirst, 1949), Till glädje (Ode to Joy, 1950), Sånt händer inte här (These Things Don't Happen Here, 1950), Sommarlek (Summer Interlude, 1951), Kvinnors väntan (Secrets of Women, 1952), Sommaren med Monika (My Summer with Monika, 1953), Sommarnattens leende (Smiles of a Summer Night, 1955), Det sjunde inseglet (The Seventh Seal, 1957), Smultronstället (Wild Strawberries, 1957), Ansiktet (The Face, 1958), and Djävulens öga (The Devil's Eye, 1960). He had a rich, dark, magical touch, completely different from Sven Nykvist's.

He also worked with Arne Sucksdorff: Pojken i trädet (The Boy in the Tree, 1961), and he was the first to shoot Liv Ullmann and Bibi Andersson together in the Knut Hamsun movie Kort är sommaren (Pan, 1962), which inspired Ingmar Bergman for Persona.

He worked also with Finnish directors in Sweden such as Jörn Donner (Vittnesbörd om henne / A Testimony About Her, 1963), and Åke Lindman (Is / Ice, 1971). He even worked with Jacques Tati (Parade, 1974).

He shot some of the most famous images in cinema history in The Seventh Seal. Now he has finished his last game of chess.

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