“Summer with Monika” / “Sommaren med Monika” / “Furyō Shōjo Monika” (不良少女モニカ), Japanese Re-Release Movie Poster 1963, Ingmar Bergman, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) C267

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical re-release poster printed in 1963 for Ingmar Bergman’s 1953 Swedish romantic drama Summer with Monika, released in Japan under the striking title 不良少女モニカ (Furyō Shōjo Monika / “Delinquent Girl Monika”).

Issued for the film’s 1963 Japanese revival release and distributed by Shochiku Eihai (松竹映配), this poster is a beautiful and highly atmospheric example of post-war Japanese art-house film advertising. With its bold typography, sensual teal-toned imagery, and elegant waterfront composition, it is one of the more visually memorable Japanese posters associated with Bergman’s early international career.

Film background
Directed by Ingmar Bergman, Summer with Monika stars Harriet Andersson and Lars Ekborg in one of the key early works of Bergman’s career. The film follows two young lovers, Monika and Harry, who flee their ordinary lives for a brief summer of freedom, romance, and sensual escape, only to find that reality waits for them beyond their idyll.

The film became especially significant not only for its place in Bergman’s artistic development, but also for helping establish Harriet Andersson as one of the defining screen presences of Scandinavian cinema. Its frank eroticism, emotional immediacy, and youth-centred restlessness gave it an enduring reputation internationally.

Poster design
This Japanese B2 features a particularly elegant and evocative design.

The upper and central field is dominated by a large, dreamlike teal monochrome image of the embracing lovers, rendered with a soft, almost submerged atmosphere that gives the composition both sensuality and melancholy. Across the top left, the Japanese title is printed in bold red: 不良少女 モニカ, immediately commanding attention.

At upper right appears the original Swedish title, SOMMAREN med Monika, alongside yellow Japanese billing for Ingmar Bergman and the principal cast: Harriet Andersson, Lars Ekborg, and Dagmar Ebbesen.

Running across the middle is the Japanese promotional line:

「若い女の官能に火をつけたひと夏の情事！名匠が抉る大胆な野性の恋！」
“A summer affair that ignited a young woman’s sensuality! A bold, untamed love portrayed by a master director!”

The lower section shifts into a naturalistic colour waterfront scene at dusk, looking across calm water toward a distant skyline. At lower right, Monika and Harry embrace on the shore beside two suitcases, underscoring the film’s themes of escape, desire, and impermanence. The Shochiku Eihai pink diamond mark appears at lower left.

Collector significance
Japanese posters for Bergman titles have long held strong appeal for collectors of international art-house cinema, and this example is especially attractive because it belongs not to the original 1950s Japanese release, but to the 1963 revival circuit, reflecting the continued Japanese appreciation of Bergman’s work during the post-war foreign film boom.

It is a compelling piece for collectors of Ingmar Bergman, Harriet Andersson, Swedish cinema, and Japanese foreign-film poster design, and has notable crossover appeal for those interested in mid-century graphic design and theatrical advertising.

Condition
Excellent+ condition. Please review the photos carefully, as they show the exact poster for sale.

The poster presents very well, with strong colour, attractive saturation, and clean overall display quality. The reverse is also notably clean, with only minor age-related handling and light signs of storage visible, consistent with an original paper poster of this vintage. Overall, this is a particularly strong surviving example of a scarce Japanese re-release poster.

This is an original 1963 Japanese theatrical re-release poster for Summer with Monika.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

It is over 60 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.