| Actors:
| Liv Ullmann, Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson, Sigge Fürst, Gunnar Björnstrand | | Director:
| Ingmar Bergman | | Format:
| Color, DVD, Full Screen, Letterboxed, Box set, Black & White, NTSC | | Subtitle:
| English, Spanish, French | | Number of Discs:
| 6 | | Studio:
| MGM | | Run Time:
| 459 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| April 27, 2004 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 25 reviews |
|
Average Customer Review:
 ( 25 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
79 of 87 found the following review helpful:
Well done, but the aspect ratios are STILL wrongSep 29, 2005
By brian0918
I had originally given this collection 5 stars, but then did some investigating. It turns out that although they've fixed the aspect ratios on a couple of the films, they are still wrong on Shame, Persona, and Hour of the Wolf. This effectively chops out about 12% of the films, destroying Bergman's original compositions. I didn't believe it at first until I went through scene-by-scene and realized the horrible truth.
76 of 85 found the following review helpful:
 MGM gets it rightApr 23, 2004
By Maurice Arcand
After much confusion, the long-awaited Bergman set has finally come out. You can disregard all the negative comments you may have read about faked aspect ratios, etc. Yes, MGM tried to pull a fast one on a couple of the titles in this box, but after being caught out, they did the right thing by pulling the box and waiting to issue an excellent set with transfers that easily match those of Criterion, Kino, etc. (Let's hear it for consumer power!) All the titles are now in their proper aspect ratio. The black and white transfers (Persona, Hour of the Wolf and Shame) are truly beautiful. These films have probably not looked this good since they first came out. The digital transfers for the two colour titles offer equally fine video and clear original audio. The disc of bonus materials is fascinating, with rare interviews with Bergman himself from 1970 and 2002. The bonus disc and the five individual titles also offer interviews with key Bergman players, including Erland Josephson, Bibi Anderson and the ever-insightful Liv Ullmann.
As for the films, they speak for themselves. If you still haven't seen the four sixties films in this box (the summit of Bergman's art in the opinion of many critics), here's a chance to get acquainted with some truly great late-20th century art. Forget about the bad press. MGM got it right this time.
50 of 55 found the following review helpful:
 They're cropped!Feb 01, 2004
MGM (USA) have made an appalling series of errors with their new Bergman boxset. Two films in the set have been heavily cropped from their original 1.37:1 aspect ratio to a very noticeable 1.66:1; and Persona is missing roughly 11.5% of screen information despite being 1.33:1. This is a faux pas the like of which has not been seen for a long time in DVD land. There is no precedent for Hour of the Wolf and Shame being 1.66:1 yet MGM seem to think that these films were shown theatrically at this ratio. With characters' heads chopped in half, Bergman and Nykvist's careful framing is ruined at 1.66:1 (the transfers are non-anamorphic too). R1 Bergman fans should strongly consider holding off this boxset. DVDBeaver's enlightening examination is clear for all to see. Either MGM will withdraw the set or suffer very poor sales. Maybe Greg Carson, the set's producer, can provide a statement on the matter? from Mastersofcinema.com
go to DVDBEAVER.com
25 of 27 found the following review helpful:
Disappointing, I had high expectationsFeb 11, 2004
It's disappointing, because I have wanted these discs for so long. I would rate this a 5 for the content, and a 1 for the flub. This rating could change depending on how MGM handles the exchange. For those who have received the set and are wondering about the exchange, the following is from hometheaterforum.com: Statement from MGM Home Entertainment regarding the recall of the INGMAR BERGMAN COLLECTION... "It has come to our attention that the transfers utilized for the release of Ingmar Bergman's "Hour of the Wolf" Special Edition DVD and "Shame" Special Edition DVD are not representative of the intended theatrical presentation. "In order to provide customers with the best quality product available, we are recalling the product at retail and will be releasing both films in a 1:37:1 aspect ratio on April 20, 2004. "The Ingmar Bergman DVD Collection will also be available on that date. MGM Home Entertainment always strives to provide the highest standard of product and customer care. For additional information or comments, please contact our customer service at 877/646-4968." Calling the number gives a recorded message that an email should be sent to 4you@mgm.com, subject line Ingmar Bergman, text of email should have name address and contact phone & MGM will contact you about exchanging the disc.
29 of 34 found the following review helpful:
A warning from mastersofcinema.comFeb 01, 2004
MGM (USA) have made an appalling series of errors with their new Bergman boxset. Two films in the set have been heavily cropped from their original 1.37:1 aspect ratio to a very noticeable 1.66:1; and Persona is missing roughly 11.5% of screen information despite being 1.33:1. This is a faux pas the like of which has not been seen for a long time in DVD land. There is no precedent for Hour of the Wolf and Shame being 1.66:1 yet MGM seems to think that these films were shown theatrically at this ratio. With characters' heads chopped in half, Bergman and Nykvist's careful framing is ruined at 1.66:1 (the transfers are non-anamorphic too). R1 Bergman fans should strongly consider holding off on this boxset.
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