Ingmar Bergman, with this film, has crafted an utter masterpiece with this one. Everything about it is something I can praise. There's great acting and lovely lingering cinematography. There's a great script that's almost like a lore or fable. I consider it a fairy tale for adults.
This film is very adult for many reasons. First off, I think the pacing is consistently glacial, in a good way. There is a whole family, the Ekdahls, that is portrayed through the entire film. Secondly, it is much more than your average Disney-film. There is darkness everywhere, especially inside our subjects, Fanny and Alexander.
The film opens with Alexander playing, but bored. Later, a Christmas feast. This is one of the slowest openings to a film that I've seen, but it sets up everything needed for the film. The dinner portrays the Ekdahls as picture-perfect, and the next morning after is when you realize the flaws and desires in every single Ekdahl.
