Oscar Directors: Bergman, Ingmar–Multiple Nominations, No Award

Written in 2007:

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) has often overlooked the work of first-rate foreign filmmakers. These foreign Oscar directors have all had established reputations in the various international film forums before earning their Oscar nominations.

This trend of favoring American movies and American films is clear when evaluating the career of Swedish director Ingmar Bergman.

Bergman received his first nomination as late as 1973, for “Cries and Whispers,” which was also nominated for Best Picture, when he was fifty-six.

None of Bergman’s earlier landmarks, “The Seventh Seal,” “The Virgin Spring,” or “Persona,” to mention three obvious choices, was recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for his masterful directing, though “Virgin Spring” and “Through a Glass Darkly” won the Foreign-Language Picture Oscar of 1960 and 1961, respectively.

Bergman, like Fellini, had not won a legit, competitive Best Director Oscar, though he earned a second nomination for “Face to Face,” and a third one for “Fanny and Alexander,” which also won the Best Foreign-Language Picture Oscar.

Swedish Ingmar Bergman, the greatest filmmaker of the second half of the century, died yesterday at age 89. As an artist, he had created more masterpieces than any other director.

The following text was written in 2003 for the latest edition of my book, “All About Oscar: The History and Politics of the Oscar Awards.”

That the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tends to overlook the work of first-rate foreign filmmakers, while they are at their prime, is clear from the career of the great Swedish artist Ingmar Bergman.

It’s hard to believe, but Ingmar Bergman received his first nomination as late as 1973, for “Cries and Whispers,” when he was fifty-six. None of Bergman’s earlier landmarks, “The Seventh Seal,” “The Virgin Spring,” or “Persona” was recognized by the Academy for his masterful directing, though “The Virgin Spring” and “Through a Glass Darkly” won the Foreign-Language Picture Oscar of 1960 and 1961, respectively.

Bergman, like Fellini, has not won a Best Director Oscar, though he earned a second nomination for Face to Face, and a third for Fanny and Alexander, which also won the Foreign-Language Picture Oscar. In all likelihood, Bergman, like Fellini, will win an Honorary Oscar for his career, but the opportunity to confer the award on a uniquely talented artist while at his peak was missed.

Bergman’s story is by no means unique. The foreign Oscar directors have all had established reputations in the various international film forums before earning their initial Oscar nominations.

Directing Nominations

As a director, Ingmar Bergman garnered three Best Director nominations:
In 1973 for “Cries and Whispers,” in 1976 for “Face to Face,” and in 1983, for “Fanny and Alexander.” In the Academy’s annals, only one other foreign director, Fellini, received a larger number of nominations, four.

Best Picture Nominations

In 1973, Bergman’s “Cries and Whispers” was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, alongside with “American Graffiti,” The Exorcist,” “A Touch of Class,” and “The Sting,” which won. Nominated for five awards, “Cries and Whispers” won one, for Sven Nykvist cinematography.

Fanny and Alexander

Bergman’s last theatrical feature, “Fanny and Alexander,” is one of the most honored foreign language films, with six Oscar nominations, winning four: Best Foreign-Language Film, Cinematography for Sven Nykvist, Art Direction-Set Decoration for Anna Asp, and Costume Design for Marik Vos.

Acting in Bergman’s Films

Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann was nominated for two Best Actress Oscars, including one in Bergman’s film, “Face to Face” (1976). Ullmann’s first nomination was for “The Emigrants” (1972), directed by Jan Troell.

Three-time Oscar winner, Swedish Ingrid Bergman (no family relation to Ingmar) received her last Best Actress nomination for Bergman’s intense family drama, “Autumn Sonata,” in which she played career-driven pianist who neglected her daughter, played by Liv Ullmann.

Like the Italian Fellini, Swedish director Ingmar Bergman, had been nominated for several Best Director Oscars, but had never won.

However, six of the many films by Bergman (who died in 2007), have been nominated for or have won the Oscar Awards in various categories, though largely in the Best Foreign Language section.

Cries and Whispers, made in 1973, bears the distinction of being one of the 11 foreign language films in Oscar’s history to be also nominated for the top prize, Best Picture.

Bergman movies nominated for or winning the Oscar, in chronological order:

Wild Strawberries (1959):

Nominated for Best Story and Screenplay

Virgin Spring (1960)

Best Foreign Language Film

Through a Glass Darkly (1961)

2 nominations, 1 award

Best Foreign Language Film

Nominated for Best Story and Screenplay

Cries and Whispers (1973)

5 Nominations, including Best Picture

1 award: Best Cinematography