My comment above is not necessarily a criticism, but it is a fact that among the many films of Ingmar Bergman is a VERY high percentage of depression movies. Bergman seemed to revel in exploring the depressing and banal aspects of life--and this film is swimming in it! So, if you are looking for a happy film, avoid this one at all cost! But, if you can appreciate the masterful direction, then it's well worth seeing.

The film begins as a musician learns that his wife was just burned to death and his daughter burned terribly. As I said, it's NOT a happy-go-lucky film! The film then looks backward--seven years ago when the two joined the orchestra and began a relationship. It's interesting how adult all this is--even for a European film. Premarital sex, cohabitation, abortion and adultery are all discussed during the course of the film. Some of this is very good and I could appreciate it, but some also seemed in a deliberate effort to get the viewer to dislike the leading man (Stig Olin). He was a thoroughly self-absorbed artist who seemed to think that brooding and selfishness were necessary for the artistic temperament. As for his wife (Maj-Britt Nilsson),she put up with hell from this man through much of the film--and it was hard to see why. Now I can respect the film for being this daring, but it also makes the film a tough sell as most people just don't want to see films where it's so difficult to care about the characters. But, on the other hand, their acting and direction are so nice you cannot just dismiss the film.

By the way, one of Bergman's favorite actors, Victor Sjöström, is in the film in a great role as a gruff old conductor. At first, he's easy to dislike--but over time you see his character grown and morph into a guy who really helped give color to this film.

Ingmar Bergman has rapidly become one of my favourite and most admired directors. He did go on to better things than To Joy and his other early films, but a lot of promise can be seen here. The characters are not as dimensional or compelling in their realism, like in the best of Bergman's films, Marta can be seen as too perfect and Stig is not an easy person to like at all. However, the acting is very good. Stig Olin and Maj-Brit Nilsson give strong performances but Victor Sjostrom gives the best performance. As ever with Bergman, To Joy is superbly directed, while the script is thoughtful and the film itself is beautifully shot. The story is intriguing and paced well, and there are some good themes that are well done they were written even more compellingly in Bergman's later films. The music is amazing and utilised beautifully. Overall, one of the better Bergman films if not among his better overall ones. 8/10 Bethany Cox

It took a long time to have even a slight interest in Stig and pouting, depressing being. He is a mediocre violinist playing in a second tier orchestra. He has an incredibly inflated view of his abilities. When he gets his opportunity to solo, he blows it, but, of course, none of it is his fault. He becomes involved with Marta, who is herself a complex being. He is known for his embarrassing behavior, like he exhibits at her birthday party. But still she finds in him something that leads to their getting married. Her pregnancy derails things for a while but they fall back together. Meanwhile, he begins to see a beautiful young woman, the wife of a much older man and friend. He really is a cad and even though things are going so well, he can't handle a settled situation. Eventually, this involvement with a mistress becomes too much for the couple. She gets fed up and he regresses to his tight little self- centered world. At some point he sees that there is more to life than wandering around in the pits and they are reunited. We already know the ending because the whole thing is done in flashback. There is stunning cinematography, lovely closeups, black and white images that translate emotionally. Bergman seemed to be a master from the very beginning of his career.