Art Director and Production Designer.
Nationality:
Swedish.
Born:
Per Axel Lundgren in Vastra Harg, Sweden, 1911.
Career:
Worked with Swedish directors, mainly Ingmar Bergman.
A Day Shall Dawn
It Rains On Our Love
Musik i mörker ( Music in Darkness ; Night Is My Future ) (Bergman)
Fängelse ( Prison ; The Devils Wanton ) (Bergman)
Sommaren med Monika ( Monika ; Summer with Monika ) (Bergman)
En lektion i kärlek ( A Lesson in Love ) (Bergman)
Sommarnattens leende ( Smiles of a Summer Night ) (Bergman)
Song of the Scarlet Flower ; Det sjunde inseglet ( The Seventh Seal ) (Bergman)
Ansiktet ( The Magician ) (Bergman)
Jungfrukällen ( The Virgin Spring ) (Bergman); Djävulens öga ( The Devil's Eye ) (Bergman)
Såsom i en spegel ( Through a Glass Darkly ) (Bergman); Pleasure Garden
The Swedish Mistress
Nattvardsgästerna ( Winter Light (Bergman); Tystnaden ( The Silence ) (Bergman)
491 ; För att inte tala om alla dessa kvinnor ( All These Women ; Now about These Women ) (Bergman)
Syskonbädd 1782 ( My Sister My Love )
Hagbard and Signe/The Red Mantle ; Stimulantia (co)
Skammen ( Shame ) (Bergman)
En Passion ( The Passion of Anna ) (Bergman)
The Emigrants (Troell)
The New Land
The American Dream (Abrahamsen) (+ co pr)
Barna från Blåsjöfjället (Sima)
Excellensen ; Flickan och djävulen ; Mitt folk är icke ditt ; Vi behöver varann
Ödemarksprästen
Skepp till India land ( Frustration ); Livet i Finnskogarna
Främmande hamn ; Hammarforsens brus ; Lars Hård ; Marknadsafton
Bohus bataljon ; Lång-Lasse i Delsbo ; Havets son ( Son of the Sea ); Gatan ; Hin och smålänningen
När kärleken kom till byn
Poker ; Spöke på semester ; Motorkavaljerer
När syrenerna blomma
Glasberget ( Unmarried )
Ljuset från Lund ; Enhörningen ( The Unicorn ); Våld
Den Hårda leken ; Ratataa ( The Staffan Stolle Story ); Sjunde himlen
Sommarnöje sökes ; Far till sol och vår
Flottans överman
Himmel och pannkaka
På en bänk i en park ; Kärlekens decimaler ; Bara en kypare ( Only a Waiter )
Briggen Tre Liljor ; Stöten
Chans ( Just Once More )
Svenska bilder
. . . för vänskaps skull. . .
Människor möts och ljuv musik uppstår i hjärtat ( People Meet and Sweet Music Fills the Air )
Rötmånad ( Dog Days ); The Night Visitor ( Salem Come to Supper )
Lockfågeln ( The Decoy ); Beröringen ( The Touch )
Smutsiga fingrar ( Dirty Fingers )
Jorden runt med Fanny Hill ( Around the World with Fanny Hill ); En Handfull kärlek ( A Handful of Love )
Mina drömmars stad
Bröderna Lejonhjärta (mini-series—for TV)
Den Åttonde dagen
* * *
Though often overlooked, art directors bring much to a film's look and overall feel. Lundgren's sets are almost as much a part of a film as the actors; his carefully chosen locations add a valuable component to the story.
Throughout Lundgren's career, he has been most often been recognized for his work with Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. The two have collaborated on many films, including Smiles of a Summer Night, The Seventh Seal, The Magician, The Virgin Spring, The Devil's Eye, Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light , The Silence and Shame. While Bergman's films are often microscopic views of dramatic relationships, the background plays a crucial role in telling his stories. In The Seventh Seal , Lundgren provided Bergman with the perfect setting to tell the story of a 14th-century knight playing chess with Death. The opening shot of waves lapping the rocky beach as the knight, Max Von Sydow, lies beaten on the shore sets the mood for the entire film. Lundgren's stark, bare visuals allow us to understand the bleakness of life and the challenge of a game with Death when there is nothing left to lose. As the film continues, the man is left alone with nature, where he must fend for himself. Bergman's wide shots coupled with Lundgren's scenery make The Seventh Seal what Roger Ebert refers to as "one of Bergman's most visual films."
While Lundgren did not work exclusively with Bergman, he did work mainly with Swedish directors. In 1977 he coproduced The American Dream while acting as production designer.
—Robert Dixter
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