O Olho do Diabo

A clever comedy; Satan permits Don Juan a leave of absence from hell to cure a sty in the Devil's eye which is caused by the virginity of a young earthly woman. It's a very funny movie - without being intentionally "stupid." It has a very theatrical feel, but tastefully so, and brings everything needed from Jarl Kulle as Don Juan. Nils Poppe (known best as "Jof" from "The Seventh Seal") and Bibi Andersson also contribute with an additional display of their usually skillful performances. The plot is light, but brilliant, and will probably shock regular Bergman fans. For some reason "Smiles of a Summer Night" is talked about as Bergman's "best" or even "only" comedy, but although I really like that film too, and have watched over forty of his movies, and must say that this is the funniest by a long shot. A highly enjoyable, but sadly underrated (possibly misunderstood) movie. At the time of my writing this, Djävulens Öga is not yet a DVD item in the US or the UK.

Full disclosure - I tend to like movies with the devil in them. I also love brooding characters, and weighty questions about life and love, and this film has all of the above.

The premise is that in keeping with an Irish proverb, the Devil has a stye on his eye because a woman is about to be married, but is still a virgin. In this case, she's the daughter of a vicar. He sends Don Juan and his sidekick back to earth along with a demon to oversee them, with the mission of deflowering her before the wedding. Things get complicated when Don Juan quickly develops real feelings for her, and his sidekick falls for and begins seducing her mother.

Don Juan is brooding, hating both God and the Devil equally for the morality game they play. On the one hand he boldly says "the lack of principles is my principle, vice my virtue, debauchery my asceticism, godlessness my religion." On the other hand, he betrays real sadness when he says "Those capable of love are very few. Their suffering has no limit. I am told they are mirrors which reflect God, and make life easier for us wretches in the dark." Such brilliant dialog is Bergman at his best.

The vicar's wife is a complicated character as well – wondering about her husband's love, whether he would be sorry if she died, and telling him that life "is like a comedy – you see me in one part, others see me in another. No one sees my real self", as she seriously ponders whether to sleep with the sidekick. Such a poignant scene, especially as the vicar is a paragon of virtue, desperately wanting to understand her, saying he'll still love her if she sleeps with another, and later overcoming the demon's temptation to try to catch her in the act.

So both women, mother and daughter, are faced with the temptation of adultery – one just before her marriage, and the other in middle-age. Both are swayed by pent-up passion, sweet words, and pity – but their feelings and actions are far from simple. Will love be enough to shield them from temptation, even when it truly touches their hearts? I won't spoil it.

In addition to all of that, I loved the little touches in the movie, including the ministers in hell advising Don Juan on the art of seduction, the demon morphing into a black cat, and the punishment of Don Juan in hell which consisted of nightly dreams of rendezvous with sensuous women, only to be woken up before he could get his satisfaction ("the performance is over, Don Juan"). One of his later punishments is somewhat shocking given the movie was made in 1960 – he's forced to listen to a demon gives a play by play description of the sounds the one woman he cares about is making while having sex, starting with her panting and ending in an orgasm so violent she's weeping tears of joy. My goodness.

Playful, weighty, sacrilegious, creative, well cast, and well filmed – 'The Devil's Eye' may not be Bergman's best movie but it's quite good. I think it's unfair to knock it down based on his other classics – imagine if it was made by someone else! But no, with all of the elements we see here, this is distinctive Bergman.

Down in Hell, devilishly wicked Stig Jarrel (as Satan) has acquired a sty in his eye. According to an old Irish proverb, "A woman's chastity is a sty in the devil's eye." This painful condition is attributed to a 20-year-old woman on Earth who has decided to remain a virgin until her upcoming wedding night. Satan surmises, we are told (by a helpful on-screen host), that if he can get pretty Bibi Andersson (as Britt-Marie) to sinfully deflower, the Devil will be relieved of his sty. Enter and exit debonair Jarl Kulle (as Don Juan). The legendary lover is serving time in Hell, naturally. His punishment consists of endless seductions without the climactic ending. You may see where this is going...

To wit, Don Juan is sent to Earth where he'll hopefully seduce Ms. Andersson and relieve both himself and the Devil...

Ingmar Bergman begins the comedy with clever direction and settings in Hell. Imagine an old Shakespearian play, with no curtain or audience. The set-up is intriguing and initial trip to Earth heightens anticipation. Then, the story becomes unexpectedly dull. More quaint than clever, Andersson's romantic situation is the main disappointment. Saving the trip is Mr. Kulle's servant Sture Lagerwall (as Pablo), by going after pastor's wife Gertrud Fridh (as Renata). You have to wonder why Richard Burton, a great lover of the Faustian sort, did not re-make the original play as an English language film. Either he couldn't obtain the rights or felt Elizabeth might be unconvincing as the virgin.

******* The Devil's Eye/Djävulens öga (10/17/60) Ingmar Bergman ~ Jarl Kulle, Bibi Andersson, Stig Jarrel, Sture Lagerwall

I admire Ingmar Bergman, Sweden's greatest director, hugely. His films are incredibly well made and thought-provoking, as well as on the most part superbly directed and acted complete with memorable images. The Devil's Eye is not one of his best, it does get off to a slow start, the ending does feel rather weak and there are a few scenes that feel a little too talky. However, it is still worth watching, even if not up to the standards set by The Seventh Seal, Fanny and Alexander, Wild Strawberries, Cries and Whispers, Persona and The Virgin Spring a "lesser" from one of cinema's most influential directors is still better than some directors when at their best. The Devil's Eye is not the most stunning visually of Bergman's films, but it is still skillfully made and has nothing that comes across as cheap. The music is simple, but hauntingly beautiful at the same time. The story is atypical Bergman, with a structure that is very like it was set out as a play but it is also wonderfully ironic, while the script on the most part is funny with a couple of thoughtful moments. Bergman's direction may not show him on his best form but still shows a director who knows what he's doing and what he wants. The performances are fine, Bibbi Andersson does give a strong performance, Nils Poppe is very funny and Jarl Kulle displays a lot of verve as the playboy released from Hell sort of character. Gunner Bjornstrand is good to see, though he has been better. Overall, worth watching, funny and interesting. Just not one of Bergman's crowning jewels. 7/10 Bethany Cox

For a long time unavailable on DVD, this 2007 Tartan release finally addresses that, but is it worth it?

Like most, I love classic Bergman and find anything else by him interesting, at the very least. Coming just after the heavy and emotionally draining making of his The Virgin Spring, in 1960, the DVD blurb tells us that the director needed to 'tell a joke' - this resulting oddity revealing a waspish comedic streak from someone known as a deep, complex and often depressive writer and director.

It launched Bibbi Anderson, who would become Bergman's famous face in his massive hits Persona and Wild Strawberries. In The Devil's Eye, she plays the virgin Britt-Marie, daughter of a cleric. At age 20, the Devil has decided she's ripe for de-flowering, but she's promised to a boring but reliable older man. Taking the form of Don Juan, the infamous Lothario of legend, the devil attempts to seduce her. Who will win? Heaven, or Hell, or indeed, both?

From the very outset, with its odd introduction and even odder harpsichord note, this one is set to be a comedy. It's very theatrical; caricatures and grotesques mix with the ordinary, mirrors and imaginative sets convey hell. Period detail rubs shoulders with 20th century Scandinavian domesticity. One can see many possible influences, all moulded in a vast cooking pot and quite a strange mixture is the result.

I'm sure one could look into it all a lot deeper than I did - one of the greatest things about Bergman is that most of his films can be watched at a differing angle and a whole new aspect is highlighted, helped enormously by his intelligent and often poetic dialogue. Watching late at night when concentration levels were ebbing, I took it as it was presented - amusing, satirical, with sexual references, a wit and with a big sparkle in this Devil's Eye.

To answer my question - yes, it is good, but oddly, so un-Bergman like (though some scenes in Fanny & Alexander, for example, share this mischief) I wouldn't say that this film is essential Bergman. For those who want all he did, then yes, obviously and maybe those who want to know more about his inner psyche. Those expecting a more formal classic, might be well put-off, it's the sort of 'what the hell is this?' that may well result in the 'stop' button on the remote being pressed.

The transfer quality is excellent though the subtitles appear slightly smaller and more 'European' than on other Tartan Bergman's I have.