Cries and Whispers
 Director: Ingmar Bergman |
One of my favourite Bergman films. It's a chilling study of sibling relationships, infused with that characteristic Bergman sense of dread and brutal honesty. But unlike most Bergmans, it's shot in colour - and in this, unprecedented in its precision simply for the fact of its relative rarity. The set is literally drenched in womblike shades of red, and amidst this, the stark white of the characters' dresses grate like sore teeth in swollen gums. It's visually very exciting, of course, but the plot itself is relentless - one of the three sisters is dying, and as the story unfolds, we plunge forward to the surreal climax, where it becomes increasingly evident that the other two sisters have no sense of love for their dying sibling. Bergman, not to be outdone on unconventionality, renders this in a kind of dreamlike sequence, where the now-dead sister is unable to rest in peace without affirmation of love from her sisters, who reject her with the utmost revulsion. I watched this alone, and regretted it for the lack of someone's shoulder to bury my face in. |