Shame

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Josh A I've come to describe films like this as "expertly crafted exercises in boredom" The film revolves around a married couple living on a farm as a civil war slowly draws nearer and nearer, all while their relationship strains. Now please explain to me, what about this mundane premise could possibly be interesting? Why should I care about the psychological meltdown of two fictional characters that do nothing but act miserably to each other? Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 06/03/24 Full Review Tony S Marital drama and an anti war film unevenly eclipsing each other. Deterioration of the Rosenberg's marriage and the effects of the war and occupation seem at points disconnected. Half way through the film, there is a fade out and a time skip and Jan is already being cheated on leaving this development feel rushed and as if it would happen even without the war. However, the dynamic and the reversal between them is very well made. As Jan goes from emotional to apathetic to Eva going from dominant to emotional and powerless, this is probably the best aspect of the film. All encompassing shame of being weak, being indecisive, being cruel and inhuman lingers in the background. Title can really refer to anything in the film. To the war itself, obviously. That Bergman portrays as bands of raiders with artillery more than anything. There are some interesting insights. Such as propaganda war, where paratroopers land in the enemy territory specifically to get an interview for juicy propaganda. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/22 Full Review William L I never thought I would run across a Bergman film that necessitated an explosives coordinator, but here we are. An unusual turn for the director, given that where normally he would have seemingly been content with incremental plot development, he instead substitutes a cataclysm. Ullmann's Eva and von Sydow's Jan are subject to a war about which very little is ever actually revealed, a civil conflict where the pair are caught in between shifting fronts and are forced to come to terms with just what they are willing to do or say in order to survive as unaligned civilians when human life suddenly loses value. In some ways, it's difficult to ignore how Bergman almost romanticizes suffering in this film, focusing on an artistic, expressive couple whose worldly desires are charmingly straightforward, such as a bottle of wine after dinner, and then reducing them to practically and morally impoverished circumstances in incremental fashion. Characters slipping into somber depressions, fully embracing the near-certainty of impending death with hardly a whisper. But while it is not necessarily completely original territory, the story does still wield power, giving the quiet moments (whether due to cowardice, resignation, or murderous certainty) as much respect and gravitas as the periodic outbursts. (4/5) Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/29/21 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. A well made film that wasn't what I was expecting. An interesting couple moves to an isolated island and small community to escape the conflict, only to have it arrive on their doorstep. The character development was particularly good. They both evolved throughout the conflict to do things they wouldn't have done it beforehand. It was tragic and it was a surprising reminder of the horrors of tyranny and anarchy. It was on YouTube. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review dave s Ingmar Berman's Shame may be the most depressing, somber, and political film of Bergman's lengthy oeuvre…and that is saying something. Jan (Max von Sydow), an emotionally and physically fragile man, and his apolitical wife Eva (Liv Ullmann) operate a small farm on an isolated island in an effort to escape a civil war raging on the mainland. Their willful ignorance is a way of living in a world of love instead of a world of conflict. However, their slowly deteriorating relationship is eventually infringed upon by the war they are trying to escape. Sven Nyquist's gorgeous cinematography is the eye through which we watch the horrors. This is a powerful film (the final scene is devastating) that is somehow always overlooked when examining Bergman's massive body of work. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review michael d Very bleak, even for Bergman, and hauntingly beautiful. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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