Overview
A summer gathering reveals tangled relationships and hidden desires among a group of friends and lovers.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- playful
- sensual
- romantic evening
- classic film night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Bergman's sophisticated romantic comedy as a nearly perfect, beautifully realized work with exceptional wit and emotional intelligence.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Desirée, Fredrik, Anne, Henrik, Petra, and the Malcolms form an interconnected web of attraction and jealousy.
Desirée orchestrates an overnight gathering at her mother's country house where the relationships are forced into proximity.
The unconsummated Egerman marriage, extramarital affairs, and permissive aristocratic attitudes all challenge respectable appearances.
The country-house setting and nocturnal social gathering are presented with beauty and refined period atmosphere.
Films like Smiles of a Summer Night, and why
The Rules of the Game
Shared witty romantic entanglements, theatrical social comedy, and shifting alliances among sexually frustrated upper-class characters.
Gosford Park
Shared sophisticated farce, extramarital intrigue, country-house setting, and elegant period atmosphere.
The Philadelphia Story
Shared mature romantic comedy, elaborate misunderstandings, and playful critique of marriage and social convention.
Movie Details
- Director
- Ingmar Bergman
- Release Date
- 1955-12-26
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (281)
Cast
- Gunnar Björnstrand
- Ulla Jacobsson
- Eva Dahlbeck
- Harriet Andersson
- Margit Carlqvist
- Jarl Kulle
- Åke Fridell
- Björn Bjelfvenstam
- Naima Wifstrand
- Jullan Kindahl
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Smiles of a Summer Night about?
- An elegant Swedish romantic farce turns a summer country-house gathering into a delightful chessboard of desire, jealousy, and marital reinvention.
- What is Smiles of a Summer Night like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Smiles of a Summer Night as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Smiles of a Summer Night violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Smiles of a Summer Night.
- What did critics think of Smiles of a Summer Night?
- Critics broadly regard Bergman's sophisticated romantic comedy as a nearly perfect, beautifully realized work with exceptional wit and emotional intelligence.
- Which films are like Smiles of a Summer Night?
- Films with a similar feel include The Rules of the Game, Gosford Park, and The Philadelphia Story.
- How long is Smiles of a Summer Night?
- Smiles of a Summer Night runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch Smiles of a Summer Night?
- In United States, Smiles of a Summer Night is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
