Max Von Sydow © Tony Barson / Getty Images
Rendez-vous with Max Von Sydow
For the 57th edition of the Festival de Cannes, Max Von Sydow inaugurates the Masterclasses on Friday; May 14th in the Buñuel Theatre. The opportunity for the Swedish actor to go bak on his career, talk about his crucial encounter with Ingmar Bergman who will make him famous in the 60's, and discuss cinema with the audience.
Max Von Sydow, born in Lund (Sweden), studied at Stockolm's drama school before commencing a career in theatre. Discovered for cinema by Sjöberg (Just a Mother in 1949 and Miss Julie in 1951), he has to wait however for his decisive meeting with Ingmar Bergman, who gives him the memorable role of the knight in The Seven Seal, before becoming truly seduced by cinema. He then works hard in both careers: theatre and screen, joins Bergman "troup" nand becomes one of its mainstays. He plays in The Face (1958), The Virgin Spring (1960), Through a Glass Darkly (1961), Winter Light (1963), Hour of the Wolf (1968), Shame (1968), A Passion (1969). Rapidly courted by great directors the world over, Max Von Sydow begins an international career in the 70's, lending his grave and expressive face to the works of Huston, Friedkin, Polalck, Rosi, Boorman, Zurlini, Tavernier, Allen and Lynch. The actor, however, remains faithful to his country of origin, and plays in Troell's The Flight of The Eagle in 1982 and Bille August's Pelle the Conqueror in 1988. Continually backwards and forwards between stereotypical characters (like those he plays in Milius' Conan the Barbarian or Kerschner's Never Say Never Again) and other more internal, personal characters, the actor has played a particularly wide range of roles. In 1988, Max Von Sydow goes behind the camera for the first time, to direct Katinka.
