Episode 223: The Hopeless Dream of Being (Bergman's "Persona")

David and Tamler dive into Ingmar Bergman’s 1966 masterpiece Persona, a film about two (?) women, Elisabet, a famous stage actress who has stopped speaking, and Alma the chatty young nurse assigned to care for her at an island cottage. What happens when the roles we play as parents, spouses, friends, and colleagues start to feel like dishonest performances, an endless series of desperate lies? Can we escape to an inner sanctum of truth and authenticity? Or is that putting on another mask, playing yet another part, telling a different set of lies? We offer some tentative interpretations of this rich and baffling film. Get that boy a normal sized sheet!  Plus we share some thoughts about the Chappelle special…  Sponsored By: BetterHelp: You deserve to be happy. BetterHelp online counseling is there for you. Connect with your professional counselor in a safe and private online environment. Our listeners get 10% off the first month by visiting Betterhelp.com/vbw. Promo Code: VBW Chess.com: Join chess.com today--you can learn to play, take some lessons to improve, brush up on your game by having the computer analyze your mistakes and recommend lessons to strengthen your skills, and play against your friends or in tournaments. It's free to join, but if you use our link they'll know we sent you! Promo Code: verybad Support Very Bad Wizards Links: The Closer (2021 film) - Wikipedia Dave Chappelle’s ‘The Closer’ Is Not a Simple Victim-Bully Story - The Atlantic Persona (1966 film) - Wikipedia Persona movie review & film summary (1967) | Roger Ebert Break Music: You Have Love by peez