Actually, I think Mr. Pollard assumes too much. I have seen many Bergman films (I watched The Virgin Spring again last night) and enjoyed all of them. As to Woody Allen, I don't think Bergman ruined him. I think Woody Allen trying to imitate Bergman ruined him!

Terry, Huntsville, United States

Bergman drew me into cinema. His works are not cogent philosophical meditations; nor should they be. They've just the right kind of familiar mysteriousness to lure the viewer into the mysterious familiarity of cinema itself. And they feelingly capture the ache of the human condition.

I discovered Bergman in my adolescence and have seen most of his films. Even the greatest among them -- 'Persona,' 'The Seventh Seal,' 'Virgin Spring,' 'Cries and Whispers' -- I find both stirring and tedious. But the same could be said for Proust and Bruckner and Beckett and Tarkovsky. What's the good of art criticism if it's unwilling to make complicated judgments?

Chinnie, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Please spare us the "I liked Woody Allen when he was funny routine." The irritating pseud never caused a genuine, unfeigned chuckle in his entire oeuvre. His worst crimes: appropriating Gershwin's iconic music for a film he had the very nerve to just call "Manhattan", as though it spoke to the nature of the city; and stealing Star Wars' best picture Oscar.

Ptoa Ak, Manchester,

I saw the Seventh Seal when I was 16. Loved it and it has stayed with me for 50 years. As has been noted above for another Bergman film it rocked. Perhaps if I'd been 60 when I saw the film it might have had a different impact but it was so powerful I can still recall snippets even though I haven't seen it since 1957. Another film (not by Bergman that had a powerful impact at about the same time was The Wages of Fear

Ian Lee, Fremantle , Western Australia

One of the delights of living in London was being able to view films by directors such as Bergman. He was suberb.

Lizbet, Orillia, Canada

I'm sorry but this column is a bit silly. One could write this about Joyce or Beckett, but not Bergman. I don't think that movies are as important as literature, so the question doesn't really matter.

George Balanchine, Dykker Heights, Brooklyn, New York

I have seen them all. My favorite is indeed Fanny and Alexander, which I have watched several time almost frame-by-frame. It's truly one of the greatest triumphs of Western Civilization.

fortune elkins, nyc, ny

yes, they were disgusting

cary ratner, east hills, ny USA

I saw "Scenes of a marriage" (correct Eng. title?) as a teenager and it rocked.

Niko2, Wiesbaden, Germany

What is the prize for showing here one almost impossible capacity of reading Mr. Pollard's article to its end? For of course all this must indeed be just some sort of promotional feature from this great world wide newspaper, which is The Times!
_I rather actually believing nothing that would dare going beyond this yet "sad" supposition of mine... For example, that Mr. Pollard, as the incomparable columnist and _ as we can testify_ Film/Arts Critic he must be, would eventually well payed for giving himself to the extraordinary labour of writing those so glorious words above, concerning to that unhappy and bad Film Writer - Director- Thinker.
Then, let us just thank Mr. Pollard for pretending that the Seventh Seal has never come into existence, or that it should be appreciated on rooms full of teenagers and "good people" _such as himself, perhaps_ who can find the right time for asking what was the sunday football match score, just after revealing the mysteries of human Existence.

Márcio Quirino, João Pessoa, Paraíba

Of course, why are you asking such an odd question.

Persona
Cris et chuchotements
Sonate d'automne

And it was such a strong pleasure

Beringer, Paris, France

no, have you?

bob, london,

While I think Bergman is certainly deserving of hs critics for some of his films (as anyone who has tried to see the point in Winter Light will testify) Wild Strawberries is a superb example of cinema. Bergman does firmly deserve to be in the 'arty' section of any DVD collection, but he did not make films to entertain or even amuse- they sometimes did, but more than often he wanted to make people think. I would never put on one of his films to relax (even those which I like) but you cannot critise him for treating his films as art, rather than a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.

Andy M, London,

Bergman is great, of course a saw about 10 films of him.
The Seventh Seal is a great view of humans feels. Fanny and Alexander is poetry, remember and fantasy.
The questions in Bergman´s film is about dead, guilt and christian religious. Is it easier for chritians societys understand the Bergman´s questions?

Marcelo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

I couldn't agree with Mr. Pollard more. Both Mr. Bergman and Mr. Von Trier have made unfathomably boring films, except Fanny & Alexander for Mr. B but no exception whatsoever for Mr. VT.
I live in Sweden, in summer, and dare not say what I think out
loud for fear of being lynched (besides as a foreigner I have no right to criticize anything Swedish - according to the Swedes) so I am deeply thankful for this article, Mr. Pollard, and I'll forward to all my friends who, I know, agree with us.

Serge Cavanna, Stockholm/Côte d'Azur, Sweden/France

Bergman films are visually stunning. Bring back black and white.

Stefani Lake, West Covina, USA/ California

I saw most of Bergman's earlier films in the 1960s. The Magician, Wild Strawberries, Smiles of a Summer Night, Seventh Seal, etc. The ones I enjoyed were The Magician and Smiles of a Summer Night (I loved the line that went something like "Count O gave me this house on condition I DIDN'T write my memoirs").

But his later films were no fun at all, at least for me. Still, he was great.

Peter Belew, Santa Cruz, California, USA

I saw Wild Strawberries as a 17 year old in a musty college auditorium and loved it. Mr Pollard do not try to be funny for the sake of.

mira gupta, Delhi, India

This is really a very English attitude. As someone who's lived in England for more than four years, written books and articles in English, spend most of my holidays there, read almost only English books, and have a great number of English friends, I think I have some empirical background for saying: the English can't stand seriousness. You are mortally afraid of being thought solemn or boring, or worse: pretending to be intellectual. Many of Bergmann's films are serious. They are shattering in a way that King Oedipus must have been to its original audience. They can be great experiences. Go into a cinema, or put on the DVD and switch off the lights. Forget you're English for a bit - and hey presto: you'll have had a profound experience that may change your view of your existence - for the better!

Ole Martin, Bergen,

Well, I think such a critic who is privileged to contribute to this reputable paper should first be thankful for a bannered review-option, than consider a little the effect Bergman's movies (that are, definitely, not "overrated") have made on filmmakers and audiences worldwide and refrein from bad-stomached obituaries like this. Less google and more respect, please! Pesonally I am ashamed, though I'm just a moviegoer.

Mate Szabo, Budapest,

Yes i have, and yes i watched the full five hour version of fanny and alexander, have it on dvd aswell. Im sure this article means something to somebody, but only people whove heard of bergman will have clicked on it or have been bothered to read it...

martyn, hexham, england

Like most people who saw The Seventh Seal years ago all I could remember was the scene of the knight playing chess with death but - I went to see it again last week _ I found it contained so much more. It is far from depressing it has burlesque episodes and is funny and touching as well as horrific and thought-provoking. Forget Woody Allen and give Ingmar Bergman and his films a second - grown-up chance.

Lindsay Fulcher, London,

Seem most of them..my 2 best ones are Cried and Whispers and Wild Strawberries.I loved ./ love his movies because unlike today's trash they enage your brain and beg you to question your premises

M McGregor, Tunbridge Wells, UK

The only criticism I have of this excellent article is is that the author seems to to have too much respect for that old fraud Woody Allen.

Laszlo, London, UK

In a world that glorifies ignorance and stupidity, yes, is allowed to scorn the late Mr. Bergman. After all, is far more fulfilling to watch BBB and to discuss the Becks family’s adventures in LA, then to contemplate Mr. Bergman's canvas. Well done Mr. Pollard! You are a man the follows the trends.

Fabio C, London, UK

Whatever Mr Pollard's New Europe looks like - count me out.

Nick P, Andros, Greece,

I have seen about 6 Bergmann films, although all a very long time ago. I have not forgotten many dramatic moments and themes. I am presently trying to obtain DVDs for 2 of the films, Seventh Seal and Wild Starwberries, which I recall very well, as well as seeing The Magician, Smiles of a Summer Night, Virgin Spring, Fanny & Alexander, and at least one more [name escapes me], so at least 7 of Bergmans works. I would be glad of a chance to see any of these again. Your reviewer Stephen Pollard may well pour scorn on Mr B, but due to lack of understanding of the nature of Scandinavian myth. As Oscar Wilde pointed out, we cannot blame a man for his taste in art.

John Fettes, Nelson 7011, New Zealand.

Hi
Films come in many forms, with different objectives. I would say that Bergman's films try to convey some of more serious and bleaker sides of life. In that sense they portray reality more than almost all American films, for example. To appreciate Bergman's films you need to like films that do show reality and the failures (or perceived failures) that a lot of people make of their lifes. Often those apparent failures are based on expectations that are too high. Personally I like that kind of film, recent examples are "The Painted Veil" and "The Pledge" - both superb films in every sense, but with little general recognition.

If then you go the cinema purely for entertainment, Bergman is not for you. If you go to be intellectually challenged then he is.

Uprichard jackson, Reading,

Have you got all the "Carry on..." films in your collection or are you missing a couple?

O. Welles, Copenhagen, Denmark

Dave Davis i,m a man on the street,if you have any idea what that means.You politicians pretend to know what we belive,be you labour,tory,lib ,you have all pandered to the so called minority vote!Oh don't get me wrong,it is partly our fault because most of the people in this country can't even be bothered to vote.All parties are giving in to the muslim propoganda and thinking of votes!You could win the next election if only you would talk to the British people !Black,white yellow,any colour,but do not cave in to a minority who hate us.I don't know what will happen in the future,but this country needs a strong hand now.

geoff, braintree, Essex

I've only seen the one film, "The Seventh Seal", and I thought it was quite good; I was afraid it was going to be all doom and gloom, but there were actually some funny moments in it, which caught me by surprise. I suppose if I had seen more of Bergman's films I might agree that he's overrated, but I'm more of a Herzog man myself.
P.S. I haven't seen a single film by Fellini, Bertolucci, Chabrol, Renoir, Rohmer, Pennebaker, Wiseman, Maysles, Wadja, Ophuls, Saura, Oshima, Tarkovsky, Konchalovsky, or Greenaway, all of whom have been declared cinematic 'geniuses' somewhere or another, and who all may be "overrated".

Steve O'Rourke, Danbury, CT, USA

What is happening with culture? In my country, the death of Bergmann did not deserve any hommage on TV. I was quite surprised! And now I see how one of the columnists in the art section of The Times is trying to persuade people about the lack of genious of Bergman!
Something is going wrong in our society, in which adolescent cinema music is the one to be valued, and even awarded (Lost in translation, Titanic, ...).

Javier, Barcelona, Spain

Whaddyou mean, you goons? Of course: everybody of any interest has... Well, at least the Seventh Seal.

Frances Brunton, Florence, Italy

I've seen The Seventh Seal. Great film. Impressing. Great camerawork, sharp moral, touching story. Definitely a masterpiece, and an enjoyable one. 'Nough said.

Marco, Venice,

All of them. And you, sir? Have you ever seen one?

Paul, Hamilton,

I've seen: Wild Strawberries, Persona, The Seventh Seal, and something called "Smiles of a Summer Evening" or something. They were all great movies. I remember that Persona frustrated me to no end, because I couldn't read the white-on-white subtitles.

Keith George, New York , New York USA

Two things strike me from reading Mr. Pollards article and the subsequent comments.

Firstly, Mr.Pollard your article is largely provactive and flawed, points fleshed out by many others here - you've seen barely any of the director's movies - but undoubtedly will be gladdened that such a simplistic piece of writing generated this much comment - becuase let's be honest, that's how you and your editors measure success (look at all the comments I have). Maybe you'll actually bother to see some Bergman films to be more informed as a result of the comments. Maybe not. Maybe you should take a long look at yourself in a baker shop's window.

Tiara, Weston Supe Mare,

Bergman is unquestionably an excellent filmmaker. Whether he is a great figure in film, I am not one to judge. I recently watched Saraband which is very good although not extraordinary. Wild Strawberries and the Seventh Seal are both extraordinary however.

Wendell Murray, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania USA

I saw Fanny and Alexander when I was 14. I really enjoyed the bit where the maid took her shirt off and shagged on the bed.

Tim Footman, Bangkok, Thailand

I am Swedish in all possible aspects, and I very much agree with the author of this article. Bergman is great, I am told, but I have never ever had the patience to sit out a full movie of his, and I have tried. His movies are to depressive and generally complex and negative. Yes, a mood prevalent in Scandinavia but, contrary to popular belief, not the dominant. (I blame the weather) Bergmans movies seems to have a sort of comforting effect on some people though, which I find facinating. To me they are sleeping pills.

Jojje, Stockholm, Sweden

I don't know how anyone could call The Seventh Seal dull or tedious. Has the author actually seen any Bergman films himself?

Cecille, Oxford, MS USA

I saw "Persona" in a film class. It was good, and even compelling for about fifteen minutes. However, it did not make me want to go see more Bergman films.

Rachel Rawlings, New York, NY, US

A genius who should be the epitome of quality fo those trying to make a reasonable job of movie making in the U.S. All to few sadly.

John Albert , Lisbon, Portugal

I remember seeing The Seventh Seal at the Academy in London.AS Death was cutting down a tree, someone touched my friend's knee, she screamed and woke the whole house -who also screamed.Definitely NOT a maker of trdious films.

Sally Peltier, Esperanza, Belize CA

Despite his reputation for making grim, depressing films I have not found any Bergman films depressing (and I've seen most of them).

And, again contrary to reputation, I think this is more humour in his films than most critics think, even in The Seventh Seal and Wild Stawberries.

As for Mr Pollatd's comment about 'an almost total absence of public acclamation or popularity' - well, isn't that a good indication of artistic worth? Most great artists, in every sphere, have never (during their lifetime at least) been popular.

If popularity is the criteria, then the likes of Michael Bay must be amongst the very greatest directors of all time!

Charliston, Northampton,

While we're on the subject, why don't film critics like films? For example, why didn't they like "Pirates of the Caribbean 3"? Why don't they like the James Bond films? Is it because they watch too many films, unlike members of the public for whom going to the cinema is a reasonably special occasion?

Martin, London,

Short answer to your question - yes. More details...I was a student at Oxford when I sat in a small cinema on the outskirts of the city which showed 'arty' films and was enthralled by one of the earlier masterpieces 'The Seventh Seal'. As Mr.Pollard has no doubt read in a synopsis, the film deals with the search for truth or meaning by a young knight who is given an extra twenty four hours by Death to find the answers. Since I was at that time, as all good humanities students should be, occupied with such a search myself I followed spellbound the hero's quest; will never forget the knight looking desperately up into the witch's eyes as the flames consume her. Nor will I forget the squire playing the cynical alter ego to the knight's boundless enthusiasm as he chases after the elusive grail. I speculate disinterestedly as to which will be better remembered twenty-five years from now: Bergman's films or Stephen Pollard's articles. Who is Pollard?

Mike Hughes, Copenhagen, Denmark

Congratulations, Mr. Pollard. You got your readers to start arguing a point with one another and leave you out of it! You wrote your views without any discussion of the actual films of Bergman (Note: not seeing someone's films does not in fact critique them, just says you don't care to see them). Instead, you just threw out a sarcastic remark or two, and let the games begin! And sure enough, some people were struck by the tone & lack of facts that they wrote in. You planted a few explosive words in your article, like "yawnfest", to let the duller readers know your position; and then, without any real effort on your part, you sat back to watch the culturally aware vs. the, um, not. The article and its tone disappoint me. Anyone could get easily the same effect. I am bored senseless by many "action movies," so I could demand, "Have you ever paid good money to see one? Then discussed it with your friends? Insisted your parents go see it as a treat?" Congratulations Mr. Pollard.

Minerva, Houston, TX

Have I ever actually seen a Bergman film? About a hundred times, I would say, judging from the exhausted condition of my collection of Bergman DVDs. Bergman "tedious?" Yes, I can see why he might be for someone of Mr. Pollard's sensibilities, who seems to prefer the early Woody Allen. Amazing, that such a self-congratulatory bonehead is allowed to write for a large newspaper, or any publication of any size anywhere anytime forever. The Seventh Seal, in my judgement, is the very finest film ever produced, followed very closely by Wild Strawberries.

Tito Perdue, Brent, Brent, Alabama, USA

Mozart had his critics - too many notes, you know. Picasso was savaged early in his career. Bergman has always had his detractors, although few as foolish as Pollard. I remember settling down drunk with some fraternity brothers in a tiny college-town theater, ready to rip "The Seventh Seal" to shreds. No one could believe what we saw on the screen, and we all left cold sober. I have three questions for Pollard:
(1) do you ever think about death? (2) do you ever think about life? and (3) have you ever tried to love someone who wasn't family? Bergman reached deepest into what makes us human. That may be a stretch, for some, yet DVDs of Bergman's films are steady sellers, and his retrospective festivals are well-attended. When I heard Bergman died, I thought, 'well, now he knows whether there's a God or not.'
We'll all find out in the end, but Bergman took us right up to the wire.

Bob Mottley, Interlaken, New York/USA

Well, hey are deep, they are beautiful and they are tedious. Sometimes art is like that.

Eugene, Heidelberg, germany

It's funny, because Bergman himself was surprised and amused by the status bequeathed him. As for art, I wanted to be an artist since I was 5, that was, and in a way, still is what my life is all about, I major in fine art etc... And alas, anything creative that is of any weight or of any artistic value, is born out of something dark. Haven't you all noticed how very dark great comedians are? Richard Pryor comes to mind immediately. Oh they are insanely funny, clever, and have you laughing until you can't breathe, yet they're also undeniably dark. So no, not all great art has to be depressing, they can look like fun, look sunny and lovely etc. But without an edge, there is no creativity, it's an eternal mystery, a double-edged sword.

Mind you I haven't commented on this article right? Everyone's entitled to what they think, but I choose not to say anything as there is nothing good to say about this damn article.

kirastus, London, U.K.

What does Mr Pollard think constitutes a good film, I should like to know? I very much fear he is of the short attention span TV generation. Bergman's Wild Strawberries, for example, is a wonderful film, engrossing and frightening in parts. My criterion for a good film is whether I can look at it again and again and in Bergman's case the answer is an unequivocal yes

Raymond Berger, exeter, devon

That was inane. You've clearly not seen the films. Why publish the incompetent. Shame on everyone.

Mike, los angeles, ca

Someone made a very profound point about Bergman's supposed "difficulty" when Allen was doing his homages. The critic pointed out that while Allen was aping his idol by being wilfully obscure, Bergman was actually trying to express very complex issues as simply and directly as he could.

So yes, I have watched Bergman films and enjoyed them, and though I wonder if my degraded attention span is up to one nowadays that's my problem. I know Pollard thinks he's being witty and daring with this attack but the despicable Newsnight pre-empted him with another supposedly "contrarian" dig. You so rarely get to see this stuff on the tube or in the cinema nowadays--do people really need to be discouraged from seeking it out?

Mick James, London, UK

I never understood the Bergman thing untill i actually watched one from begining to end "Sawdust and Tinsell" a few weeks ago . Brilliant - now I want to see the others.

Peter Edwards, Oswestry,

Maybe I missed the point. Has Mr Pollard seen a Bergmann film or is he just talking off the top of his hat?

jennifer, Kamilari/Heraklion, g

I think that his films are really good, and I don't think that you need to be Swedish to 'get' them but maybe you've lost quite a bit in translation. (Unless you speak Swedish, in which case I apologise!) Yes, they do capture a certain 'scandinavian' mood, maybe this means that you shouldn't watch any 'foreign' films and just stick to the British ones...

Lina, London,

I dont know a thing about baseball, but i do not necessarily give my opinion about it.

Varun, Jersey City, NJ

RE Woody Allen and Bergman:
"Interiors" and "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy" are direct homages to Bergman.
"Shadows and Fog" owes its "style" to German Expressionism, eg, Fritz Lang, not Bergman.

RE Bergman the stage director:
I was fortunate enough to have seen several memorable Bergman productions both in London and New York.
The Ibsen plays, in particular, were energized with fresh interpretations and interesting staging; nothing tedious here!

RE: Bergman the cinema director:
How does one measure " public acclamation and popularity"?
Box office? Awards? If so, does that make "Titanic" a better film than "Seventh Seal"/"Persona"/"Wild Strawberries"/"Virgin Spring"/"Cries and Whispers"/"Fanny and Alexander"/"The Magic Flute" (just a few Bergman's films which immediately come to mind)? Or James Cameron a "better" director?
SHAME to Polland for even suggesting so!

Hank Feldman, Westport/Ct, USA

What non-sense! I have seen several films directed by Ingmar Bergman, and so have my dad and my mum, who loved Wild Strawberries.

Another woman is one of the best films made by Woody Allen, and yif you think that shadow and fog is a tribute to Bergman, well, that means you haven't seen any of his films (It was a tribute to middle european culture and German expressionism...)

Von Trier??? O yes, you must be thinking all these guys from Scandinavia are just the same thing... no offence, but why do you write about thing you don't know about?

marco, london,

It seems to me that Bergman's films are far too sophisticated for the likes of this particular critic. If nothing else Bergman never recieved the credit he deserved. You sir, plain and simply, are a discrace and really have no clue as to the true nature of film art. Go watch Persona or don't, either way, please just keep your pathetic, pointless critiques to yourself.

Todd, Milwaukee,

I used to watch them in my youth - thought they were great! You article has inspired me to revisit this great director's work.

Gervas Douglas, Andorra la Vella,

I enjoyed reading the article above as it was a bit provoking. I agree with you to some extent. I am Swedish (born and raised in Sweden) have watched most of Bergman's movies and tv shows in Swedish. I must say I never enjoyed them, except the Magic Flute. Yes, they portray "reality" (who's reality?) in so many of his works. I remember the whole nation almost shut down every time each episode of Scenes of a Marriage was aired. I remember as a young teenager thinking "is this what marriage is about". Me and my friends were very disillustioned as we'd talk about it the next day in school.No I am not someone who "cannot understand serious work, but worships rubbish like...." as one comment wrote. I cannot understand why "art" has to be so depressing? (I was an Art major in Sweden). Why is "serious" work supposed to be so sad? I dont enjoy movies like "The School of Rock or I Know Who Killed Me, so don't say I am ignorant. If someone doesn't enjoy something doesn't mean they are ignorant.

Karin Larsson, Nacka, Sweden

I have "actually seen" several Bergman's films - "The 7th Seal" being one of my favourite films of all times. I have also loved "Cries and Whispers", although when it was over I was in tears and I have not been able to see it again since. I have also seen "The Mask", a quite dark movie. And of course I saw "Fanny and Alexander" in the special episode version for TV, and I really enjoyed it.
I feel that Bergman, as all really genial persons (Joyce, for instance) is special, so it cannot be enjoyed by everybody. It absolutely does not mean that you have to be specially intelligent or educated to "understand" it, you just have to be in the same wavelenght, or mood... I have never been able to read "Ulysses" by James Joyce! And I have been trying for the last 20 years! I'm unable to "enter"it.

Raquel Seabra, Lisbon, Portugal

Hoi! Don't pan the Bergmeister. I watched Seventh Seal yesterday, I particularly liked the horrible grating song in the middle and the bit where the blacksmith chases the actor through the woods with the hammer. Fanny and Alexander tends to make me cry at the end because it goes all warm and happy and everything seems have turned out alright after all, a bit like the celebration scene at the end of certain Star Wars films. Also it has magical Jews and a nice farting scene. I did find it unwatchably confusing (and it seemed incredibly long) when I was introduced to it about a decade ago, but I think that was because it was presented to me in the wrong way, somehow. It's more conducive, at least to my enjoyment, to think of Bergman as an amusingly moody old git than a great artist. (Something similar may be true of James Joyce, who for the time being I still hate, being put off by the "great art" tag.)

Felix, Nottingham,

Score: Bergman - 1,000,000. Pollard - 0

But, of course the article is a put up job. Schoolboy needling.
How would Pollard know that Bergman's films are boring if he has not watched them? But then again, he is a 'journalist' and this is what 'journalists' do. On the other hand, he might be a closet Bergman fan in denial. He seems to watch Terence Davies also. Pollard is a bit confusing.
Of course, he does not say why Bergman is boring - he does not talk about the films. Would it be the same if he liked a film? Would it be great without saying why? Great!

'The art of the (film) critic' by Stephen Pollard, I wonder how well that would read. A rollercoaster ride no doubt - I think Pollard really is in denial about Bergman as much as he is about his own talent.

Wigglesworth, Gachnang,

I hope he wasn't actually paid money for this article.

Donald, Lovedale,

I greatly enjoyed The Seventh Seal, Virgin Spring, Wild Strawberries and the amusing Lessons In Love.

gerry, exeter, england devon

oh cmon, now that's a silly article. bergman is a damn popular director, he's often considered the second greatest one of all times. if you think that real art cinema doesn't exist and doesn't have its fans, well, you're just wrong. i've seen almost all his films and can't say that they are really elitaristic. lots of my friends have seen them, and friends of their friends, too. because he's good. no, really, it's like saying that aristotle is unpopular. if your friends have never read him, than i'm sorry. millions of others did. not a good point about your friends. you can probably call heraclid unpopular, or fritz lang, but it also sounds wierd. damn, you'd better find a person who knows something about the subject to write the damn column=\

vladimir ponizovskiy, montreal, canada

If Bergman was born and had been lived in one of the countries in the Middle East, he would have died anonymously and nobody in the West would ever have talked about his "great" films.

Bess, Uppsala, Sweden

Actually, Justin E.A.Busch, 'School of Rock' is very far from being rubbish - it's one of the very few recent US mainstream comedies that's genuinely witty and touching, and certainly one of the most pleasant surprises I've had in a cinema this side of 2000 (I saw it as the "surprise film" at the London Film Festival, so was completely unswayed by hype).

Dare I suggest that you haven't actually seen it, and merely jumped to conclusions on the basis of the title? And dare I also suggest that this makes you just as guilty of knee-jerk philistine prejudice as Stephen Pollard, whom you otherwise rightly condemn?

Michael, London,

There are some things in life that people are supposed to appreciate, such as meaningless "deep" movies, confusingly abstract art, pitifully small portions of designer food in fancy restaurants and books like The Alchemist and other boring books by guys like Coelho.
My opinion on the article: well said. I believe it's one of the boring topics of discussion with people who still enjoy Yanni at dinner parties, who bring it up just to impress you and make you feel ignorant.

Giovanna, Athens, Greece

I own a copy of The Seventh Seal on dvd and think it's a masterpiece.

Linda, Fife, Scotland

i quote Justin E.A. Busch.
I seen my first Bergman movie when i was 17yo in school (The Seventh Seal) and i was totally blown away, it's when i discovered the great cinema, before that i was fed with the usual commercial hollywood tripe that is shown in movie theathers...

Back then i didnt even know that Ingmar Bergman was such a great art cinema director, i just went into it whitout any kind of prejudgment and loved it, i even wrote a long essay about the movie that gained me a nice A.

Excuse me for my english, it's only my third language.

Pau Lazzaro, Milan, Italy

great piece of thundering Stephen... I watched two of these and they were fine, above average movies even. but great art? they were clunkier then a bag of bolts; real 'thinking for beginers' stuff.

perhaps why they are so enjoyed by trivial pretentious yanks who think European newspapers and thereof-ing makes them interesting.

James, London,

So basically anyone who cliams to have enjoyed a Bergman film is by definition a pretentious twit? Sounds like an attempt to shut up the opposition to me.

I beg to differ.

I have sat through several Bergman films and been absolutely dazzled by them. If that's pretentious then so be it. On the other hand there have been a few experiences were I felt like an animal in a trap ready to gnaw my own foot off to escape. Bergman is great when on form, wearyingly tedious when not.

Re : Terence Davies. I found Distant Voices Still Lives profoundly moving and superbly acted. But then I suppose if its not set in London and so of no consequence to you.

Typical pudgy metropolitian navel gazer.

Andrew, Edinburgh, UK

Ever hear of The Seventh Seal? It was kind of a big deal.

DM, Louisville, KY

It's fashionable for people who should know (and behave) better to belittle greatness. Paxo was at it again last night. Never mind. Just to hear Bergman's words (in the quote below by Lucas, Madrid) is to remind one why "The Seventh Seal" is one of the greatest films ever made. It may make for an arresting headline, bit it is not clever to side with philistines as Mr Pollard does.

J.Fletcher, Canterbury, UK

Of course I've seen Bergman films! I've seen many of them. I even own a few of them.

Bill, New York City, USA

After reading Rod Liddles' feature on Covers, i had to google him to find out who he is - up until now I have been blissfully ignorant.He seems to write what he does specifically to arouse controversy.Instead of choosing the worst twenty covers of "Yesterday" for instance , or high profile clunkers like "Uptown Girl" by Westlife , he chose a mostly obscure list which most of us would not have heard.
The good thing about Covers is that they can bring obscure songs to public attention.The best Covers are those that bring something new to a song, and when Jeff Buckley covered "Hallelujah" he brought new feeling , new meaning , and even new lyrics.This must surely be the greatest Cover version ever, and if Liddle can't see this he must have lost his ear for music somewhere along the way.

Mervyn Scott, Killorglin,Co Kerry, Ireland

Gordon Bennett..you are all a soft touch..Does anyone really watch Big Brother..Little Britain..EastEnders..Jonathan Ross?
Did many watch that very poor "comedy" The Office?Would I buy warehol[?]would i hell.Existencial..now i know its not real.His Wife Ingrid was not bad

david, Barnsley, England

I enjoyed reading the article above as it was a bit provoking. I agree with you to some extent. I am Swedish (born and raised in Sweden) have watched most of Bergman's movies and tv shows in Swedish. I must say I never enjoyed them, except the Magic Flute. Yes, they portray "reality" (who's reality?) in so many of his works. I remember the whole nation almost shut down every time each episode of Scenes of a Marriage was aired. I remember as a young teenager thinking "this is what marriage is about". Me and my friends were very disillustioned as we'd talk about it the next day in school.No I am not someone who "cannot understand serious work, but worships rubbish like...." as one comment wrote. I cannot understand why "art" has to be so depressing? (I was an Art major in Sweden). Why is "serious" work supposed to be so sad? I dont enjoy movies like "The School of Rock or I Know Who Killed Me, so don't say I am ignorant. If someone doesn't enjoy something doesn't mean they are ignorant.

Karin Larsson, Nacka, Sweden

I think appreciation of Bergman's films depends on one's appreciation of complex thoughts & relationships. Nowadays, so many films are churned out with vacuous storylines which may be clear in their unfolding of events and endings but are personally, mind-numbingly dull since the characters are lacking in emotion & intellect.

Charlotte, London, London

I find it sad that you are unable, to see the beauty in films like "Virgin Spring" and "Seventh Seal".
Even sadder is that you have a platform to display your unappreciation.....

Davie, Anna, US/TX

I've seen Wild Strawberries, The Seventh Seal and Fanny and Alexander. I paid to see them in a movie theatre and enjoyed all of them without reservation. Woody Allen's hommages were terrible - the worst being the awful, awful Interiors - and as a man of taste I'm sure he'd agree with that. Bergman's pictures were different, pure meditations on life and death. They never pretended to be anything else (which was why Woody's failed). There's room for Bergman in the movie world and questioning it is ignorant. We don't have to all be drones - numbed by eye candy in reverence to corporate, studio Speilberg pap and weekend b.o. numbers.

Joseph Pisano, Maidenhead, England

As Pollard himself has mentioned Woody Allen, perhaps a reminder of what happens when we get a similarly self-regarding dismissal in Allens’ 'Manhattan':
Yale: Mary and I have invented the Academy of the Overrated, for such notables as Gustav Mahler...
Mary: And Isak Dinesen, and Carl Jung...
Yale: Scott Fitzgerald...
Mary: Lenny Bruce. Can't forget Lenny Bruce, now, can we? How about Norman Mailer? And Walt Whitman?
Isaac: I think that those people are all terrific, everyone that you mentioned.
Isaac: What about Mozart? I mean, you guys don't want to leave out Mozart, I mean, while you're trashing people.

Bergman’s films move me and most explosion-saturated blockbusters bore me. It’s good to know though that today’s self-appointed arbiters of talent spend their energies trying to convince people not to watch certain films.

A M, Pontypool,

You can't appreciate a Bergman film? And you write for the Times?? I need to talk with someone there in HR...

Dave Elvin, Seattle,

Yes I've enjoyed Bergman films greatly, saw the Seventh Seal at the cinema a few weeks ago and it was one of the best films I've seen in a long time. I told some friends about it and I'll be very happy to see it again with them at the cinema in about a week. As Woody Allen said recently "I was very saddened by the death of Ingmar Bergman. He was a friend and certainly the greatest film artist of my lifetime." A shame you didn't enjoy his work, takes all sorts though I guess.

Thomas FitzGerald, Cambridge,

What an ignorant, arrogant man, this jerk should be ashamed of himself. What art has he created to knock down a genius like Bergman? And to compare Woody Allen with Bergman is the ultimate stupidity, that's like equating a minor talent with a giant, Woody worships Bergman because that's what he would like to be but his range is limited, he just doesn't have it in him and never will. Bergman was the greatest, period, end of conversation; but you will get ignorant, petty people like this knocking down the greats all the time.

Beatrice Brusic, Forest Hills, New York

Justin Busch is quite right of course, but brandishing ignorance is part of the English national character. No doubt there are ignorant and opinionated reporters in every country, but generally they are laughed at. Here, in a culture where taking the mickey is regarded as an art form, they are laughed with. So in England even the serious papers like The Times employ trivial-minded but amusingly glib columnists to keep the sales up. Jeremy Clarkson, Adrian Gill, Pollard, Hume are largely without anything of any value to say, but say it in a way which raises a laugh in the pub after a couple of lagers or on a bleak Sunday morning with the rain hissing down outside. There will be the same proportion of the population in England who appreciate Bergman as in any other country, but they will keep quiet because the facile and the moronic is fashionable here. Very likely none of the above actually write what they think, they write what they think will 'give us a laugh'.

eric campbell, harrogate, uk

I remember my wife dragging me to see about three of his films (when we were newly married let it be stressed.)
I also remember going to sleep in the middle of two of them.
I will add that I paid, and that my parents were from Yorkshire. Point made?

L.W., Montevideo, Uruguay

While it is possible to take issue with some of the comments made in your column, the central point is definitely not to be ignored. There is to often a kind of snobbery that latches on to the arts where it becomes fashionable for people to jump on the bandwagon of "serious art" and to rubbish "popular art". In the end all these things are a matter of personal taste and we should not so easily dismiss popularity. The Emperor's New Clothes analogy is unfortunately valid in too many cases - not with the artists concerned but with those who leap to sing their praises. Asking followers what they get from such art often leads to at best a regurgitation of critics' reports but nothing more. Bergman may have made some interesting films but there were some awfully tedious times as well.

mike, oxford,

I first saw Bergman as a 14 year old kid playing hooky and sneaking into an art house - the Biograph. I had no idea what would be playing when The Virgin Spring exploded in my teen mind like nothing before or since. And his The Magic Flute introduced me to Mozart and opera. I'm sure that admitting to loving Bergman, Mozart and opera as a teen disqualifies me from civilized discourse in the 21st century. Let's all talk about Harry Potter.

John Hicks, Gilbert, South Carolina, USA

Any one of these films would be enough for a Movie Maker's career if only they had the talent to do it.

The Seventh Seal (1957) (Det sjunde inseglet)Wild Strawberries (1957) (Smultronstället)
The Virgin Spring (1960) (Jungfrukällan) (won Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film)
Through a Glass Darkly (1961) (SÃ¥som i en spegel) (won Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film)
Cries and Whispers (1973) (Viskningar och rop) (won Academy Award for Best Cinematography)
Scenes from a Marriage (1973) (Scener ur ett äktenskap)
Fanny and Alexander (1982) (Fanny och Alexander) (won 4 Academy Awards, including one for Best Foreign Language Film)

Jeffrey Burton, Los Angeles, CA

Sir,
Your front page on "Tesco Jails" being demanded by retailers can not possibly be true. Retailers would do something themselves if shoplifting was a real threat to their business. Retailers see it as an acceptable loss set against the cost having more staff or reduced customer access to sales goods. This is about civil liberties and DNA tagging of people. Nice try!

Nigel Wallis, Witney, UK

Ingmar Bergman is not one of a large category of "important artists." He is a seminal film maker whose oeuvre will endure long after your glib and ultimately unenlightening petty jibes are forgotten...

Paul Kelley, Columbia, USA

I could have given you an herb to purge you of your worries about eternity. Now it seems to be too late. But in any case, feel the immense triumph of this last minute when you can still roll your eyes and move your toes.

Lucas , Madrid, Spain

As I write this I have just finished watching an interview on TCM conducted by Dick Cavett of Bergman and Bibi Andersson from August of 1971. The last question Cavett asks him is how many more movies he'd like to make. Bergman answers "five or six." How lucky for us that the number turned out to be 21.

There is no point in dignifying your silly comments about the Bergman, or about Woody Allen for that matter. When Allen was making the kind of movies that you might have liked, he himself was a huge fan of Bergman.

For those of us who are fans, we feel like we know him. It doesn't mean that everything he did was perfect, or that we even understand all that he's saying, but we know him all the same. As they say, to know him is to love him and now we'll have to miss him.

Paul Woodside, San Jose, California

To answer your questions:

1) Yes, I have seen many Bergman films, in the theatre whenever possible, and many of them more than once.

2) Yes, I have recommended them, and indeed watched them alongside those to whom I have recommended them-- and those people (not, I should add, puffed-up journalists incapable of creation but gleeful in destruction) have uniformly enjoyed, thought about, and discussed the Bergman films.

3) Yes, I could name many Bergman films long before his death-- and, yes, many of them I have described as "wonderful".

Finally, to answer a question you did not ask: Yes, I believe that strident twits who cannot understand or appreciate serious work, but who likely worship rubbish such as "The School of Rock" or "I Know Who Killed Me", have nothing valuable to contribute to a discussion of cinema (or of anything else, for that matter). If you cannot enjoy art, that is your loss-- but brandishing your ignorance does not change its value or our enjoyment thereof.

Justin E.A. Busch, St. Paul, Minnesota

Actually I saw the Seventh Seal on Wednesday at the cinema and afterwards I turned to my boyfriend with tears in my eyes and a "wow, wasn't that wonderful" because I was incredibly moved by the film.
i'm 28.
I guess it was due to the existentialist nature of the film. It's not easy depicting the existential cause without being utterly pointless, because that it often what they are trying to convey, but I think he did it extremely well.

k, London,