Amidst the rich tapestry of archival footage and home movies from which the documentary Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words is composed, there is a screen-test of the silver screen icon that she did for David O. Selznick upon first arriving in Hollywood. It begins with the designating words scrawled on a clapboard, “No makeup. No lip rouge.” It is on color film and it is silent. In a few seconds her whole personality radiates in bright hues from the screen, as she smiles fleetingly. Watching this footage gives one all the information needed to understand why Ingrid Bergman was a movie star. No words are needed.
There are plenty of words in this film, though, culled from interviews, film footage, and Bergman’s personal diaries and letters. We may be grateful for the contradiction that this documentary presents with a clip wherein she is asked about her roots and she answers, “I don’t want any.” As free and cosmopolitan a character she was, In Her Own Words reveals that she did in fact lay down roots and they are roots that largely permeate through the camera lens; for, wherever she traveled or with whomever she was, she shot reels upon reels of footage with a handheld camera. Much of this footage is of her and much of it was taken by her on the other side of the camera, showing the various people who moved through her life; her husbands, her children, her co-stars and directors...This treasure trove of film shows not only the ever-changing chapters of Bergman’s life, but also depict the various times and places through which she moved and which shaped her. One striking example is of her and her first spouse, Petter Lindstrom, taking leisurely shots of one another while Nazi troops march in the background.
Through the overall collage, Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words presents a charming and unapologetic woman who loved the people in her life dearly and yet was continually elusive to them. This film shows the center of her life to be her art, but it was through her art, the stages of which were varied and complex, that she connected most intimately with the people in her life.
A notice must be given to the strong Michael Nyman score that runs the length of the film and ties the many parts together. The musical binds of this documentary feature elevate what otherwise might be deemed a too simple recounting of her life. The archival footage speaks volumes and when married to the score the full thing becomes a loving and dreamy homage to one of the all-time great film stars.
