Sawdust and Tinsel (1953) Bergman - Film 335

334. Sawdust and Tinsel (1953) Bergman. Stars: Ake Grunberg and Harriet Anderson. Plot: A story of turn-of-the-century circus performers, featuring a young Andersson as a bareback rider, the mistress of the circus manager, a lumbering middle aged man. She becomes enchanted with a local theater actor. Drama, humiliation, betrayal, and bitterness ensue in this battle of the sexes. Pros: Acting, Camera work, interesting characters, faced-paced story Cons: Downbeat Tone, the usual Bergman bleakness. The best thing about S&T is the acting, with Grunberg taking the honors as the circus owner who's losing his mind. The story is well told, but needed some humor and warmth - almost every character is either cynical, cruel, selfish, depressed, or lonely. But that's expected with Bergman, Cf: "Scenes from a Marriage." A good movie if you're in the right mood. Rating ***1/2