ERLING GUNNAR FISCHER, CINEMATOGRAPHER. 18-11-1910 11-6-2011
GUNNAR Fischer, a movie craftsman whose cinematography helped set the visual tone for filmmakers as varied as Ingmar Bergman and Walt Disney, has died at a retirement home in Stockholm. He was 100.
Fischer's legacy is bound to about a dozen films he made from 1948 to 1960 with fellow Swede, Bergman. He is widely recognised as the first cinematographer to capture with unparalleled beauty the cruelty, sensuality and selfishness that often collided in the same scene among Bergman's anguished characters.
"Fischer's great skill was in monochrome," film historian and Bergman scholar Peter Cowie said in 2008. "He gave Bergman's films that unique expressionistic look, with their brilliant contrasts in every gradation of black and white."
Fischer translated Bergman's themes of emotional isolation, sexual anguish and fear of death into unforgettable images: cold Scandinavian sunlight sparkling off water in Summer Interlude (1951) and Summer with Monika (1953) the brittle twilight in the sex farce Smiles of a Summer Night (1955) and the finale of The Seventh Seal (1957), a Cold War allegory in which a parade of characters dance to their fate with scythe-wielding Death leading the way.
Fischer said he brought to Bergman a "fantasy-like style it wasn't about making the scenes realistic but more theatric, like a saga".
He recalled being criticised for how he shot one of the most vivid scenes in The Seventh Seal, the movie that launched Bergman's international reputation and made him an art-house favourite for decades. The film was set in the 14th century and featured Max von Sydow as a knight playing chess with Death (played by Bengt Ekerot). Fischer used two powerful lights to throw the actors' bodies into sharp relief, but the illumination made it appear to some that the sky had two suns. Others found the scene too artificial-looking.
"To this I usually respond: If you can accept the fact that there is a knight sitting on a beach playing chess with Death, you should be able to accept that the sky has two suns," Fischer said.
Born in Ljungby, Sweden, he attended a Danish art school in Copenhagen and later wrote and illustrated children's books, including Hide-and-Seek Voyage (1953), described by one critic as a "happy extravaganza".
As a young man, Fischer served in the Swedish navy as a chef and was asked to entertain prominent guests aboard ship, including an actress who gave Fischer entree to the film industry in the mid-1930s.
He completed an apprenticeship before working with prominent directors, including the celebrated Carl Theodor Dreyer, a Danish-born filmmaker known for depicting actors' faces with a cold, often unflattering clarity. Fischer regarded their collaboration on Two People (1945) as a turning point in his understanding of sharp lighting.
Fischer first paired with Bergman on the 1948 melodrama Port of Call.
"We came to an agreement quite early to never become each other's 'bowing servants'," Fischer said. "We were never to praise each other or to give compliments about what we read in the newspaper. We were critical and could always speak our minds."
Their working relationship largely ended with The Devil's Eye (1960), and the story of their break-up remains the subject of speculation, ranging from a possible clash over a woman to Bergman's hectoring ways.
Bergman asked Fischer to work on The Silence (1963), but he was busy on the Disney television production of Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates. The two drifted apart and Bergman began to use Sven Nykvist more regularly. Bergman, Fischer said, "gave me a great opportunity to develop my artistry, as opposed to the many cinematographers who are stuck with mass-produced comedies. It enriched my pictorial expression."
Fischer then worked on more mainstream movies. For some of these, he used colour, such as The Pleasure Garden (1961), with a screenplay by Bergman, which was among the four films he made with Alf Kjellin.
One of the rare films on which Fischer worked for a non-Swedish director was Anthony Asquith's Two Living, One Dead (1961), a low-key film noir, shot entirely in Sweden with a largely British cast (including Patrick McGoohan and Virginia McKenna) but a mostly Swedish crew.
Fischer also experimented with video techniques to record provincial circus acts for Jacques Tati's Parade (1974). After he retired from the cinema in 1975, he lectured on film lighting.
He was married to Gull Soderblom from 1938 until her death in 2005. Survivors include two sons, Jens and Peter, both cinematographers, six granddaughters, and five great-grandchildren.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Who was Gunnar Fischer and why is Gunnar Fischer important in film history?
Gunnar Fischer was a Swedish cinematographer best known for his close collaboration with director Ingmar Bergman. He shot roughly a dozen films with Bergman between 1948 and 1960 and is widely credited with helping set the visual and expressionistic tone of those films through his distinctive lighting and monochrome techniques.
What is monochrome cinematography and how did Gunnar Fischer use black-and-white lighting?
Monochrome cinematography refers to shooting in black and white. Fischer was celebrated for his mastery of monochrome—creating brilliant contrasts and subtle gradations of black and white to translate themes like emotional isolation, sexual anguish and fear of death into unforgettable images.
Which Ingmar Bergman films best showcase Gunnar Fischer's cinematography?
Some of the best-known films that showcase Fischer's work include Summer Interlude (1951), Summer with Monika (1953), Smiles of a Summer Night (1955) and The Seventh Seal (1957). He first paired with Bergman on Port of Call (1948) and their collaboration continued through films such as The Devil's Eye (1960).
What was the famous 'two suns' lighting effect in The Seventh Seal and why did it spark debate?
In The Seventh Seal Fischer used two powerful lights to throw the actors into sharp relief, which made the sky appear to some viewers as if it had two suns. Some critics found the effect artificial, but Fischer defended it as a theatrical, fantasy-like choice consistent with the film’s symbolic premise—if you accept a knight playing chess with Death, the doubled sun fits the scene.
How long did Gunnar Fischer work with Ingmar Bergman and why did their working relationship end?
Fischer and Bergman worked together primarily from 1948 to 1960, making about a dozen films together. Their collaboration largely ended with The Devil's Eye (1960); accounts of why they drifted apart are speculative, and Bergman later began using Sven Nykvist more regularly.
What other directors and projects did Gunnar Fischer work on outside his partnership with Bergman?
Fischer apprenticed and worked with notable directors such as Carl Theodor Dreyer (Two People, 1945) and later shot for Anthony Asquith (Two Living, One Dead, 1961). He also worked on a Disney television production (Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates), experimented with video for Jacques Tati’s Parade (1974), and shot some colour and more mainstream films including The Pleasure Garden (1961).
When did Gunnar Fischer retire and what did he do after leaving the cinema?
Gunnar Fischer retired from cinema in 1975. After retiring he lectured on film lighting and continued to influence cinematographers and students through teaching and talks. He died in a retirement home in Stockholm at the age of 100.
Did Gunnar Fischer have a family and did any relatives follow him into cinematography?
Yes. Fischer was married to Gull Soderblom from 1938 until her death in 2005. He is survived by two sons, Jens and Peter, both of whom are cinematographers, as well as six granddaughters and five great-grandchildren.
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