ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the important couples in the film, to see how Alexander Bergman's screen characters enact the process of passing unresolved oedipal phantasies and anxieties down the generational line. It suggests that Bergman's portrayal of Alexander is of a boy re-enacting his parents' unresolved oedipal feelings in his struggle to find a "third position", from which he may find greater freedom to witness rather than repeat the pattern. The chapter refers to some of Bergman's published autobiographical material and considers what Alexander's character may tell us about Bergman's personal history. It reflects on the character of Alexander, who can be seen, in a sense, to represent Bergman himself. The chapter also explores some of the oedipal themes in Fanny and Alexander. Fanny and Alexander is a magnificent, multi-faceted work of art, which cannot be reduced to any one theme within its complex narrative.
