Cries and Whispers (1972)
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Synopsis: Ingmar Bergman's acclaimed drama, which deals with the fractured relationships between three sisters, is set in a vast turn-of-the-century manor house where unidentified voices are continually whispering and mingle with a dying woman's cries of pain. Karin and Maria (played by Ingrid... Ingmar Bergman's acclaimed drama, which deals with the fractured relationships between three sisters, is set in a vast turn-of-the-century manor house where unidentified voices are continually whispering and mingle with a dying woman's cries of pain. Karin and Maria (played by Ingrid Thulin and Liv Ullmann, respectively) have come to stay with their sister Agnes (Harriet Andersson), who is suffering from cancer, during the final stretch of her illness. Attending to Agnes is her faithful maid Anna (Kari Sylwan), who, in spite of her apparent social inferiority, is the only one who remains steadfast and dauntless until the very end--the two other women, plagued by guilt, loneliness, and jealousy of one another, are unable to offer assistance or even sympathy in their sister's hour of need. Lauded often for its innovative stylistic elements (such as flashbacks introduced by a fade to red--a color that dominates the picture as a whole--and extreme, expressive close-ups of the actresses' faces), CRIES AND WHISPERS features sumptuous period costume design and stunning photography by longtime Bergman cinematographer Sven Nykvist. [More]
Genre: Foreign Films
Starring: Liv Ullmann, Ingrid Thulin, Harriet Andersson, Kari Sylwan
DVD Info
Release:
Jun 19, 2001
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- Keep Case
- Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.66
- Single Side - Dual Layer
- RSDL
Audio:
- Mono - Swedish
Additional Release Material:
- Production Interview - 1. Ingmar Bergman - Director, Erland Josephson - Collaborator
Buy It On DVD
Reviews
The much-vaunted color symbolism is so obvious as to be almost charming in its simplicity, and the gothic ambience never really resonates.
Ingmar Bergman's dark vision of the human condition has focused on individuals incapable of real inter-personal communications except on the most primitive level.
the hushed, interior tone fails to generate much drama, and the tension never explodes
The most haunting death story in the movies, exquisitely photographed, like a reverie just before the afterlife.
Relentlessly discursive and somber, also hauntingly elliptical and exquisitely crafted.
Cries and Whispers is an unforgettable experience, one that causes the viewer to frequently wince in emotional pain.
It stands alone and it reduces almost everything else you're likely to see this season to the size of a small cinder.
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