Images: My Life in Film

In candidly discussing more than 30 of his movies, from Torment (1944) to Fanny and Alexander (1982) and more recent made-for-TV films, Swedish director Bergman offers a disarming glimpse into his private world. We learn that Wild Strawberries was a desperate, doomed attempt to justify himself to his ``mythologically oversized parents'' who had cruelly punished him as a child, while Through A Glass Darkly reflects his confused, noncommunicative marriage to Kabi Laretei. Bergman also divulges his numbing fear of death and ironically frequent thoughts of committing suicide. For each film discussed, he pinpoints its essential themes, relates on-set anecdotes and trenchantly analyzes what he sees as its strengths and failings. Excerpts from his workbooks, plus film stills and photographs round out a self-portrait that will captivate fans. (Jan.)