The films Ingmar Bergman created toward the end of the nineteen fifties – *Det sjunde inseglet*, *Smultronstället* and *Jungfrukällen* – are so significant within his filmography that it's easy to disregard the fact that they weren’t his only works from that period. *Ansiktet* ("The Face," known as *The Magician* in English-speaking regions) from 1958 is among his less familiar movies. Set in mid-nineteenth century Sweden, the story follows Albert Emanuel Vogler (Max van Sydow), a magician who travels from place to place, claiming to heal people and performing magic tricks, including hypnosis, which was quite impressive at that time. He’s accompanied by his promoter (Aake Fridell), his “charge” Mr. Aman (Ingrid Thulin) and his "grandmother," the troupe's creator of patent medicine (Naima Wifstrand). After escaping legal trouble following a performance in one town, they journey through the forest and arrive at another community. There they are held by local officials so that physician Vergerus (Gunnar Bjornstrand) and consul Egerman (Erland Josephson) can settle a bet about whether Vogler’s abilities are genuine spiritual powers or scientifically explainable illusions. While *Ansiktet* shouldn't be ignored by those who appreciate Bergman, I believe it's reasonable that the film isn't considered among his most important works. The characters aren’t particularly well-developed; we don’t learn anything about why Vogler and his companions chose this lifestyle, and Vergerus feels underdeveloped to the point that Gunnar Bjornstrand seems underutilized. And if the movie had concluded three minutes sooner it would have been one of Bergman's more impactful endings, but instead we are given a wholly unexpected cheerful resolution that just feels disappointing. A good portion of the film’s center relies on jokes about sex that occasionally elicit laughter, although I suspect anyone familiar with Bergman’s major films will constantly be thinking he is capable of much greater things than this. Still, *Ansiktet* does present a generally stimulating dramatic progression and some scenes are sure to stick with you. I especially appreciated the confrontation between Vergerus and Vogler, as well as the magician's emotional collapse (it’s telling how his demeanor appropriately shifts along with his clothing in that scene).

Source on TMDB