INGMAR BERGMAN

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BBBB. 

Original title:  Viskningar Och Rop

Sweden, 1972.  Cinematograph AB, Svenska Filminstitutet. Screenplay by Ingmar Bergman.  Cinematography by Sven Nyvkist. Produced by Ingmar Bergman, Lars-Owe Carlberg.  Production Design by Marik Vos-Lundh.  Costume Design by Marik Vos-Lundh.  Film Editing by Siv Lundgren. 

Ingmar Bergman’s most awarded film of the seventies is a sombre, depressing but beautifully filmed drama. While an ailing woman (Harriet Andersson) lies suffering in her bed, her two sisters (Liv Ullmann, Ingrid Thulin) keep watch over her with their trusted servant (Kari Sylwan). During their care of the invalid, the two sisters rehash their personal problems as well as everything they’ve suffered together in their family, eventually wondering if it was love or guilt that brought them to their sister’s bedside. Stunningly photographed in rich red hues by the always magnificent Sven Nykvist, this film is fascinating and intense, though at times the melodrama feels overly ripe for its own good.

The Criterion Collection:  #101

Academy Award:  Best Cinematography
Nominations: Best Picture; Best Director (Ingmar Bergman); Best Original Story and Screenplay; Best Costume Design

Golden Globe Award Nomination:  Best Foreign Language Foreign Film