Music Is My Future [Music in Darkness] *** (1948, Mai Zetterling, Birger Malmsten, Olof Winnerstrand, Naima Wifstrand) – Classic Movie Review 9134

The 1948 Swedish film Music Is My Future [Musik I Mörker] [Music in Darkness] is the fourth film from master film-maker Ingmar Bergman. The screenplay is by Dagmar Edqvist, based on the novel by Dagmar Edqvist.

This early work from Bergman is a black and white romantic melodrama about a young Swedish war veteran, the upper-class pianist Bengt Vyldeke (Birger Malmsten) determined to adjust to his blindness, who hires kind-hearted young Ingrid (Mai Zetterling) as his ‘little maid’ and housekeeper. He becomes her Professor Higgins, and, after the usual setbacks, they fall in love, leading him to overcome his disability and regain self-respect.

Music Is My Future is an earnest and sentimental story, with low-key, restrained handling by Bergman that makes it rather unexciting, but there are signs of greater things to come in the strong acting from the fine ensemble, the powerful imagery and the richly detailed portrait of post-World War Two provincial life in Sweden. Maybe reflecting the post-World War Two mood, it is surprisingly optimistic, positive and upbeat for the usually gloomy Bergman, but of course there was to be plenty of gloom in films to come.

Also in the cast are Olaf Winnerstrand, Naima Wifstrand, Bibi Lindqvist [Bibi Skoglund], Hilda Borgström, Douglas Håge, Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Eklund, Åke Claesson, John Elfström, and Marianne Gyllenhammar.

Music Is My Future [Musik I Mörker] [Music in Darkness] [Music in the Dark] [Night is My Future] is directed by Ingmar Bergman, runs 87 minutes, is made by Terrafilm, is released by Europa Film (1948) (Sweden), Mayfair Film Productions (1961) (UK) and Embassy Pictures (1963) (US), is written by Dagmar Edqvist, based on the novel by Dagmar Edqvist, is shot in black and white by Göran Strindberg, is produced by Lorens Marmstedt, is scored by Erland von Koch and is designed by P A Lundgren.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9134

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