Writings, 1950

[The Hotel]

A piece of prose about Susanne, who lives in Paris and does not shave her underarms.

About the text

This text was untitled. 'The Hotel' were the first words written in the manuscript, hence the title. Only the first scene is set in a hotel room. Right from the onset, we see the recurrence of one of Bergman's favourite metaphors

She allows her robe to drop to the floor and takes a step towards the mirror. Mick watches her in silence, an unnoticed player in the room. Her naked body shimmers, mysteriously magnified in the twilight. The woman is transformed, a powerfully surreal being standing before the mirror absorbed in self-reflection.