Max von Sydow's Arc

Max von Sydow (4/10/1929-) of Lund, Sweden, has appeared in well over 100 films; now living in Paris at 77 years of age, he still acts from time to time. His half-ascetic, half-regal demeanor seems to emanate from a disciplined and didactic childhood upbringing by his parents, one a university professor and the other a baroness-teacher. Besides Swedish, Max picked up German and English from an early age, and made his first film in 1949. His lean and hungry look combined with a distinctive sonorous vocal delivery made him a natural for director Ingmar Bergman (7/14/1918-). Since 1955, they’ve collaborated on numerous plays and movies, including the highly influential films The Seventh Seal (1957) and Wild Strawberries (1957).

If I had to pick a handful of telling von Sydow performances, I’d choose The Seventh Seal (1957, a prodigious year all around), The Exorcist (1973), Three Days of the Condor (1975), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Pelle the Conqueror (1987), and Zentropa/Europa (1991). In these highly entertaining and quite diverse movies, he convincingly plays, in order, a disillusioned knight in plague times; an exorcist-priest; a professional assassin; an aging professor-critic; an illiterate immigrant; and a God-like narrator.

Von Sydow’s work with Ingmar Bergman especially impressed and influenced Woody Allen; hence his role in Hannah and Her Sisters. He has also played all sorts of other characters ranging from Jesus to Ming from Mong, but essentially he is a most fine and commanding actor who does Sweden and Europa proud.

I love the film Zentropa (Europa), especially von Sydow’s narration, which keeps the whole plot well spun. Here’s a sample of what he says in English from that lesser known but very interesting work set during post-Second World War Germany, with ex-Nazi Werewolves trying to sabotage and comandeer American reconstruction efforts:

In the morning, the sleeper has found rest on the bottom of the river. The force of the stream has opened the door and is leading you on. Above your body, people are still alive. Follow the river as days go by. Head for the ocean that mirrors the sky. You want to wake up to free yourself of the image of Europa. But it is not possible.

In his personal life, Max married actor Kerstin Olim in 1951 and together they had sons named Claes and Henrik. They divorced 45 years later – that’s either very depressing or refreshing, depending on who you ask. In any case, Max the Lad then married French documentary filmmaker Catherine Berlet in 1997; as of last reports, they are still married and based in Paris.

Max von Sydow, magnifique!