‘Bergman Island’ captures the soul of screenwriting

Image of two people walking holding hands

Imaginary friends are typically reserved for children. They play and dance with us while we’re kids, but abandon us with age. An adult with imaginary friends isn’t something you see every day. Unless, of course, you choose writing as your career path. If you’re a writer, then having imaginary friends is just a pre-requisite for the job.

A writer myself, I found great comfort in Mia Hansen-Løve’s newest project “Bergman Island.” The film follows Chris, a female screenwriter, plagued with a bad case of writer’s block. Chris, played by the fabulous Vicky Krieps, initially travels to Bergman Island with her partner Tony (Tim Roth) in the hopes that both of them will find inspiration on their favorite director’s island. But soon, the stress of writing is what begins to strain Chris and Tony’s relationship.

Chris and Tony have unquestionable chemistry on-screen. Their love is portrayed excellently by Krieps and Roth as they take a more mature approach to their relationship. It’s clear these characters care for each other very much. But their love isn’t the overwhelmingly passionate puppy love seen in most rom-coms — much like the film that Chris herself is in the process of writing.

If you paid to see one movie today you’ll be pleasantly surprised to get a “buy one get one deal.” Hansen-Løve takes a daring leap in typical film story structure as she enters into the mind of Chris and her writing process. The narrative pulls focus from the adventures of Chris and Tony and jumps headfirst into the forbidden and tragic romance of Amy and Joseph. Now enters Chris’s imaginary friends.

Both films take place on Fårö island, better known as Bergman Island due to its most famous resident, Ingmar Bergman. Bergman’s oeuvre is thoroughly explored in the film, emphasizing his darker themes and visuals. Hansen-Løve does a phenomenal job of juxtaposing Bergman’s style with her own — especially with Chris’s film.

Chris’s movie is cinematic nostalgia. Each scene exhibits the natural beauties of the island and immerses the audience into the fantasy of a perfect summer. Striking against Chris and Tony’s story, it glorifies traveling and falling in love in your 20’s by capturing the stunning beaches and small-town lifestyle often missed on typical tourist trap tours.

My only qualm with the film is that I became more invested in the story Chris was telling Tony than her actual life. The narrative fully transforms into Chris’s screenplay idea, breathing life into her character so much that it hijacks the original movie the audience has been watching so far.

Every screenwriter wishes they could see and hear their characters as if they were real. To see Chris’s thoughts and ideas become a full film production as opposed to her characters just rambling a monologue is a fantastic story device that I must applaud Hansen-Løve for. Chris is just too good of a screenwriter.