Although critically panned at the time, Sawdust and Tinsel has since come to be regarded as Bergman’s first masterpiece or, for those who don’t fully appreciate the late Swedish master’s work, at least the first truly Bergmanesque film. With its bleached-out dreamlike flashback, slightly grotesque characters (it is set in a traveling circus, after all), and twin obsessions with sexual jealousy and humiliation, it certainly fits the bill. And if I didn’t like it as much as Bergman’s other films, it is perhaps because I felt like the emotional darkness was less earned that it was imposed. Nevertheless, it’s still a must-see for anyone interested in the development of European art film in general, and Bergman’s oeuvre in particular. (DVD)