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The Serpent's Egg

Play trailer Poster for The Serpent's Egg R 1978 2h 0m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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20% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 56% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
After his brother inexplicably commits suicide, unemployed Jewish-American circus performer Abel Rosenberg (David Carradine) is stuck in Berlin with his sister-in-law, Manuela (Liv Ullmann), a cabaret singer. Desperate circumstances lead to the pair taking jobs at a medical facility run by Professor Hans Vergerus (Heinz Bennent), who also offers to give them shelter. However, the clinic turns out be a very sinister place, and soon the lives of Abel and Manuela are in serious jeopardy.

Critics Reviews

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Variety Staff Variety 08/01/2007
The Serpent's Egg lacks both the strength and depth of Bergman's major work. By going outwardly international, the master becomes perilously close to becoming shallow as well. Go to Full Review
Derek Adams Time Out 02/09/2006
Bergman's paranoia runs dementedly and tediously out of control. Go to Full Review
Vincent Canby New York Times 05/09/2005
2/5
A melodrama that never quite makes any connection to the characters within it. Go to Full Review
Tim Brayton Alternate Ending 12/18/2020
2/5
The Serpent's Egg is just about the worst thing for a film like this to be: it is indulgent and mercilessly dull. Go to Full Review
Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com 09/22/2020
2.0/4.0
One of Bergman's darkest films. Go to Full Review
Jesús Fernández Santos El Pais (Spain) 07/31/2019
Unlike other Bergman films, the dialogue here is purely informative and the dramatic moments fall into absurd gruesomeness. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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júlio a 04/05/2020 Não é um filme nada fácil....mas adentrando na história real da época, ele consegue ganhar contornos bem maiores. See more 12/17/2016 A huge disappointment by Bergman's lofty standards... but a perfectly enjoyable cinematic romp by just about anybody else's. Confused, confusing, peculiarly paced and downright ridiculous in places... and lumbered with a woefully mis-cast lead performance from David Carradine too... but I still really enjoyed it once I'd come to terms with the fact that this simply wasn't intended to be another Persona or Winter Light. See more 10/12/2016 Bergman's THE SERPENT'S EGG, while not usually classified as one of his better films, is a beautifully shot and acted motion picture. See more 09/22/2016 A beautifully shot, depressingly rich motion picture, The Serpent's Egg is my first Bergman and I'm impressed already. See more 03/15/2016 The ending provides some saving grace for this movie, but overall it is a disappointment, largely because it is not an Ingmar Bergman movie. Yes, it says directed by Bergman, but the movie is too Americanized and less complex than Bergman's masterpieces and you can kind of tell that Bergman wasn't putting in his full effort. See more 07/22/2015 A narrativa perde o ritmo durante muitos momentos do filme, com um roteiro bem irregular e decepcionante. E se David Carradine aparece correto, Liv Ullmann trabalha bem abaixo de seu nível habitual. See more Read all reviews
The Serpent's Egg

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Movie Info

Synopsis After his brother inexplicably commits suicide, unemployed Jewish-American circus performer Abel Rosenberg (David Carradine) is stuck in Berlin with his sister-in-law, Manuela (Liv Ullmann), a cabaret singer. Desperate circumstances lead to the pair taking jobs at a medical facility run by Professor Hans Vergerus (Heinz Bennent), who also offers to give them shelter. However, the clinic turns out be a very sinister place, and soon the lives of Abel and Manuela are in serious jeopardy.
Director
Ingmar Bergman
Producer
Dino De Laurentiis
Screenwriter
Ingmar Bergman
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Jan 1, 1980
Runtime
2h 0m