Cries and Whispers (1972)

Cries and Whispers (Viskningar och rop)
Directed by Ingmar Bergman
Written by Ingmar Bergman
1972/Sweden
IMDb page
Repeat viewing/Criterion Channel
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

[first lines – written] Agnes: It is early Monday morning and I am in pain.

Some must-see movies are also very hard to take.

The setting is early 20th century Sweden.  Two sisters, Maria (Liv Ullmann) and Karin (Ingrid Thulin), return to their family’s country manor to visit their sister Agnes (Harriet Anderrson), who is on her death bed.  Agnes has apparently been ill for years and remained in the family home under the care of housemaid Anna (Kari Sylwan).  The other sisters are married – unhappily as we are about to learn. Agnes is now in agonizing pain and near death.

Agnes’s pain has become unmanageable.  She is desperate for comfort.  Her sisters come to her side but are little use.  Only in the arms and next to the skin of Anna does she find the human connection she craves and relax.

Agnes gets sicker and sicker.  We learn about the sisters.  Both have grown cold and hard.  Maria has been unfaithful to her husband, a weak man who attempted suicide, and her former lover (Erland Josephson) tries to show the selfishness, coldness and indifference now lining her beautiful face.  Karin is married to a horrible old diplomat and is full of hate and resentment, including the self-directed kind.  Maria approaches Karin to try to form some sort of sisterly bond.  Eventually, Agnes dies and the sisters coolly settle up affairs.

I have not gone into detail about some of the very distressing stuff that happens in this movie.  The basic plot is sad.  The main message I got out of it is that we all die alone and disappointed.  I had not remembered what terrible human beings the Ullmann and Thulin characters really were.  Bergman tries to pull some hope out of the ending but the viewer leaves depressed and exhausted.

However, and this is a huge however, you will never see more splendid individual and ensemble female performances anywhere. Bergman and cinematographer Sven Nykvist create an amazing atmosphere with a spectacular use of the colors red and white. Highly recommended.

One of my favorite facts about this movie is that it was the first distributed by Roger Corman’s New World Films.

Sven Nykvist won the Oscar for Best Cinematography.  Cries and Whispers was nominated in the categories of Best Picture; Best Director; Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced; and Best Costume Design.

Trailer narrated by Ingmar Bergman

Criterion Collection: Three Reasons to Watch