The Silence

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Dave S Traveling home by train, sisters Anna (Gunnel Lindblom) and Ester (Ingrid Thulin) stop in an unnamed country to take a break from their journey. Ester, unable to leave their room due to an alleged illness, comforts herself with alcohol and nicotine. Anna, the more carnal of the two, searches the city for comfort in the arms of a stranger. What is most striking about Ingmar Bergman's The Silence is, not surprisingly, the silence, unsettling throughout. The interior shots are particularly disturbing as they are seemingly devoid of sound, even white noise, other than dialogue and percussive sounds. Like most of Bergman's movies, The Silence feels rich in themes, allowing the viewer to draw from it what they want. Sven Nykvist's (a Bergman regular) cinematography is striking, as are the performances from Lindblom and Thulin, also Bergman mainstays. Fans of Bergman will lap this up, while casual viewers may find it a little dry and obtuse. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/16/23 Full Review scott s For a film that has very little dialogue, it seems to capture your attention. Two sisters are trying to live there lives in a world that is emotionally void. Each shot by Bergman drives the harrowing narrative makes this a unique film from his catalog. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Absolutely one of the best of Bergman! So cruel, loveable and hopeful. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Crisply shot in stark black-and-white by the brilliant Sven Nykvist, this is a characteristically obtuse psychodrama from Ingmar Bergman - poetic, dreamlike, illusory. Two sisters travel by train and we're led to believe there's been a major war. The younger sister has a son, but he is left to himself in the strange shadowy corridors of the hotel they end up in, while she searches for sex and escape. The older sister (regular Ingrid Thulin - fantastic) is dying and is tended to by an old retainer. There are dwarves too. Short, strange, hypnotic. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Each new scene redefined hell on earth, I thought I was having a stroke at one point but it was just me reaching new heights of cringing. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a bit of a curiosity. Why is it set in a fictional country? The relationship between the characters could have been explored in a domestic setting. Why does Johann behave the way he does? Why, whatever their antipathy does Anna abandon her sister to die alone? What is the purpose of their trip? Personally l do not mind that much of the film is unexplained but the degree of omission is unusual. I know people like to 'interpret' Bergman movies but in this case it really it what it is, a curiosity. Love the lighting incidentally. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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