Plot Summary

Fanny and Alexander -The Television Version
Ingmar Bergman, 1982

Ingmar Bergman has described Fanny and Alexander as "the sum total of my life as a filmmaker." And in this, the full-length (312-minute) version of his triumphant valediction, his vision is expressed at its fullest. Originally broadcast on Swedish television in 1984, in four episodes, Bergman's preferred rendition of Fanny and Alexander reinstates two hours worth of material trimmed from the theatrical version. The Criterion Collection is proud to present the complete, uncut Fanny and Alexander for the first time on home video in the U.S.

Fanny and Alexander -The Theatrical Version
Ingmar Bergman, 1982

Through the eyes of ten-year-old Alexander (Bertil Guve), we witness the great delights and conflicts of the Ekdahl family, a sprawling, convivial bourgeois clan in turn-of-the-century Sweden. Ingmar Bergman intended Fanny and Alexander (Fanny och Alexander) to be his swan song, and it is the legendary filmmaker's warmest and most autobiographical film, a triumph that combines his trademark melancholy and emotional intensity with immense joyfulness and sensuality. The Criterion Collection is proud to present this winner of the 1984 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, accompanied by rarely seen introductions by Bergman to eleven of his other films.

The Making of Fanny and Alexander
Ingmar Bergman, 1982

The Making of Fanny and Alexander is a fascinating look at the creation of a masterpiece. Directed by Ingmar Bergman himself, this feature-length documentary chronicles the methods of one of cinema’s true luminaries as he labors to realize his crowning production. Featuring Bergman at work with many of his longtime collaborators—including cinematographer Sven Nykvist and actors Erland Josephson, Gunnar Björnstrand, and Harriet Andersson—The Making of Fanny and Alexander is a witty and revealing portrait of a virtuoso filmmaker.

Special Features: 

• DIRECTOR - APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FIVE - DISC BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES
• New restored high-definition digital transfers
• Ingmar Bergman's feature - length documentary The Making of Fanny and Alexander, presented here for the first time on DVD in a new high-definition digital transfer
• Ingmar Bergman Bids Farewell to Film, a 60 - minute conversation between Bergman and Nils Petter Sundgren made for Swedish television in 1984
• Audio commentary on the theatrical version by film scholar Peter Cowie
• A Bergman Tapestry: Fanny and Alexander, a new documentary featuring exclusive interviews with cast and crew
• Rare introductions by Bergman to eleven of his films
• A selection of Bergman theatrical trailers
• Costume sketches and video footage of the models for the film's sets
• Stills gallery
• Optional English - dubbed soundtrack on the theatrical version
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• Plus: a booklet featuring new essays by novelist Rick Moody, documentarian and film historian Stig Bjorkman, and film scholar Paul Arthur