Ingmar Bergman is a director whose filmography I’ve always chided myself for not knowing more about. For the longest time, I hadn’t seen any of Bergman’s films until I finally watched The Seventh Seal a few years ago, and I was surprised at how funny it was even with its iconic existential imagery (playing chess with Death itself) and historical reputation as the cliche “arthouse” film (referenced in everything from Diner to Bill and Ted). Recently I felt like seeing more of Bergman’s work (that and Kanopy uploaded a lot of his films from the Criterion Collection), and started with Cries And Whispers (1972; Viskningar och rop), which is a period piece set at the end of the 19th century, taking place in a countryside mansion. Surrounding the sick bed of Agnes (Harriet Andersson) who is dying of cancer are her sisters, the scandalous Maria (Liv Ullmann) and the repressed Karin (Ingrid Thulin), and their quiet maid Anna (Kari Sylwan). While the sisters clash and often remain distant from their suffering sister, Anna has a warm, nuturing relationship with Agnes that flls the void of Anna’s dead child. It’s bleak, heavy territory but I was absorbed, particularly the vivid colours with the house’s interiors bright red, the thoughtful close-ups of each character dissolving to red, and sequences that felt like dreams, particularly in the second half where it almost becomes a ghost story. The performances from the four main actors are brilliant while Sven Nykvist’s cinematography is excellent, crafting arresting images throughout. The film is at once dream-like in its logic, yet also intense and often shocking in effect. While I wasn’t moved to tears, it left me contemplative and existential at the very least, and keen to explore Bergman’s work further. Recommended.
VHS Tracking 