Ingrid Bergman had kind of a rough life when it came to losing her parents at such a young age. Thankfully she was cared for and raised to become a strong and capable woman who knew that her future lay in the movies. Her father attempted to get her into opera before his passing but Ingrid was fully on board with the idea that she would make it big on screen and this was enough to keep her pushing until she finally got what she wanted, though there would of course be a few pitfalls along the way. Back in the day when movies were more apt to tell a tale than to rely so heavily on effects and flash and pomp Ingrid was definitely one of those that wound her way into the business on sheer determination at times and with great talent at others. Many have said it but it can’t be said enough when stating that we won’t likely see her type for some time to come, if ever.
Here are the five best movies of her career.
5. Indiscreet
It’s amazing what can come from a white lie. When Philip tells Anna, who is smitten with him, that he’s married and can’t see her, she pursues him even harder, something that seems a bit risky but is done on occasion by people that have more passion than sense. When it’s revealed that Philip is actually single and can’t get on board with the idea of marriage however Anna is furious and decides to try and get back at him, only for things to go haywire and almost blow up in her face. At the end however Philip has come around to the idea of marriage and decides that he loves Anna enough to propose, to which she gladly responds with a warm embrace.
4. For Whom the Bell Tolls
In times of war sacrifice is often the most noble and sometimes only thing that a person can leave behind since if things have come down to that, that’s all that’s left. Tasked with destroying a critical bridge that during the Spanish Civil War, Jordan has to use the aid of a band of guerrillas that will help him to keep the fascists at bay long enough so that he can complete his job. When one of the guerrillas disables the equipment however the need to improvise arises, and when that happens things turn ugly in a big way as Jordan is injured while trying to escape, and has to hold the line while the others can get away.
3. Notorious
There tends to be a lot more emotion in the spying game than one would let on since the emotions are only supposed to be skin deep and no further. For all that however Devlin and Alicia aren’t able to fully hide their feelings for each other even after going in so deep to the mission forces Alicia to marry another man. Among many spy movies one might hear that things have gone this far and even further, but somewhere along the line the idea of loyalty to one’s country and handlers has to outweigh the loyalty that they give to another person through something that is supposed to be a rather tight bond.
2. Gaslight
Sometimes you’re not paranoid, sometimes there really is someone out to get you as Paula finds in this movie. When her aunt dies and she’s sent abroad to study to become an opera star, Paula finds and marries a man that she has a fling with and then returns home. Upon returning home however she tends to find things missing and even starts to experience bouts of doubt, paranoia, and even unknown kleptomania as her husband tries to keep her away from the general public for her own good. When it’s discovered that her husband is the same man that killed her aunt however she concocts her own revenge and eventually springs her trap.
1. Casablanca
One of the most classic stories in all cinema, the tale of Rick and Ilsa is one that many people can quote nearly verbatim since it’s become such a grand story that has inspired many more like it throughout the history of the movies. The neutral stance that Rick attempts to take is a bit hypocritical since he still acts within his own self-interest while attempting to help those he feels are in the most need. Throughout the movie though he does try to do the most good and by the end he’s done what he can to get the woman he cares about out of harms way while making sure that his own life isn’t too complicated when it’s all said and done with.
She was definitely one of the classier actresses back in her day, and it’s true that we might never see her like again.
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