Despite his serious reputation, Bergman made a number of successful comedies and Smiles of a Summer Night – his 1955 Cannes prize winner which assembles various couples in a country house - offers a lighter take on the well-trodden Bergman themes of humiliated lovers and infidelity.

In turn-of-the-century Sweden, four men and four women attempt to navigate the laws of attraction. During a weekend in the country, the women collude to force the men’s hands in matters of the heart, exposing their pretensions and insecurities along the way.

After fifteen films that received mostly local acclaim, the success of Smiles of a Summer Night at last ushered in an international audience for Bergman. Chock-full of flirtatious propositions and sharp witticisms, elegantly shot and designed, and performed to perfection by a superb cast, this is one of cinema’s great erotic comedies.

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