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Harriet Andersson, Kari Sylwan, Ingrid Thulin, Liv Ullmann, Erland Josephson ... see more see more... , Henning Moritzen , Lars-Owe Carlberg , Anders Ek , Inga Gill , Kary Sylway , Linn Ullmann , George Arlin

Cries and Whispers stars Liv Ullman and Ingrid Thulin as the sisters of dying cancer patient Harriet Andersson. Both sisters have already had brushes with death: Ullman has had an affair which prompte... read more read more...d her husband's suicide, while Thulin has long wanted to do away with herself, at one point mutilating her own vagina out of self-hatred. As for Andersson, she has been in pain so long that she feels as though she's in the midst of death-in-life. With her two sisters wrapped up in their own problems, Harriet turns to her housekeeper Kari Sylwan for comfort; Sylwan has herself suffered the death of a child, and has developed a philosophical attitude towards impending doom. One of the most influential moments of the film -- when two of the sisters share the innermost thoughts that they'd kept from one another for so many years -- is filmed without benefit of dialogue, with the music of Chopin (enhanced by cinematographer Sven Nykvist's carefully selected camera angles) "speaking" for the ladies. While Cries and Whispers only won the Oscar for cinematography, the film did very well for itself in international awards contests. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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91% liked it

8,297 ratings

Critics

89% liked it

28 critics

R, 1 hr. 35 min.

Directed by: Ingmar Bergman

Release Date: December 21, 1972

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DVD Release Date: June 19, 2001

Stats: 637 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (637)

  • brooklynspo
    July 30, 2007
    brooklynspo
    Ingmar Bergman, 1918-2007
  • matertenebraum
    December 13, 2009
    matertenebraum
    In a perfect demonstration that horror and trauma are the stuff of real, everyday life and not the macabre vision of fantasists, Cries and Whispers marked Bergman's recovery as one of Europe's greatest film directors.

    Like most Bergman films, Cries and Whispers is concerned with... read more death, the suffering before death and the re-evaluation of life that death brings. It centres on three sisters: one dying of cancer, another trapped in a repellent marriage, and the last engaged in an uncomfortable affair. Moving between these three women is the maid, who tends the dying woman in her agony and, in one stunning scene, holding her to her naked bosom like a mother holding a child.

    It is not, then, a barrel of laughs. Bergman films are not often for casual viewing, and I certainly won't be taking this one home to watch with my mother.

    Like a great classical composer, Bergman uses contrast to enormous effect. Muted sounds which force you to strain to listen are punctuated with heart-rending screams from the dying Agnes. The colour scheme is a disquieting red, fading into pastoral greens and blues as the women reminisce about their younger life.

    The characters also contrast uncomfortably. The two younger sisters, Karin and Maria, are sitting the deathwatch for their sister, but their task arouses no compassion in them. They are appalled and repelled by their sister's suffering, but they will not hold her hand or comfort her. The mutual dislike for each other is palpable. This contrasts with the simple humanism of their maid Anna ? whom they callously talk about firing, once their sister is dead.

    Set in the late 19th Century, the story flits intermittently between present and past, fleshing out the motivations and the stories of the sisters. One of these flashbacks confronts the audience with one of the most disturbing image in cinema, a repressed Karin cutting her vagina with glass to avoid sex with her husband.

    Only a director of Bergman's calibre could make such a film riveting. Yet riveting it is. Bergman gets sensational performances from his four main leads; regulars Liv Ullmann, Ingrid Thurin and Harriet Andersson and a majestic, understated Kari Sylwan. To call this film Ibsenesque would be a slur on the originality of Bergman's vision. It is a testimony to his genius that this may not be his best film, yet it is one of the most striking films in modern cinema. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
  • fb1619601747
    January 12, 2012
    fb1619601747
    Gorgeously filmed, and emotionally resonant. Not the best Bergman film I've seen, but a great film still. Frightening, hypnotic, contemplative, and even somewhat disturbing. A good film for discussion.
  • fb20312798
    May 8, 2011
    fb20312798
    I think that one of the character's flashbacks, involving a piece of broken glass and smeared blood, is a little too grotesque and unnecessary for the story, but as usual Bergman triumphs on the whole with this film. Each scene is beautifully shot and full of startling images. An... read mored I love that so much of the film is devoted to the fear of and the power of physical contact.
  • ragglefraggle09
    February 22, 2012
    ragglefraggle09
    Excruciatingly slow-paced, at some points even discrepant, "Cries and Whispers" is emotionally complex and unnerving in its abreactions on life and human interaction. It's almost confusing in its fluidly wandering states of catharsis, but it's meticulous, manifesto-type qualities... read more make it a well-revered masterpiece. Its stark, ethereal power is, perhaps, better surmised on multiple viewings.
  • robfearon
    October 12, 2010
    robfearon
    Haunting portrayal of pain, malady, sorrow, and death.
  • littlecharmer1959
    February 15, 2009
    littlecharmer1959
    I think I need a break from Bergman, he leaves me emotionally drained!

    "Cries and Whispers" focuses on three sisters, one of which is in her last days of her struggle with cancer. Ullman, Thulin and Andersson who play the sisters each put in an amazing performance, though not ... read moreto forget Kari Sylwan, who is equally as impressive as Anna the maid.
    "Cries and Whispers" is by no means easy to watch, some of the scenes wouldn't be out of place in a horror movie. The scenes before Karin's (Andersson) death were particularly distressing and realistic. Then of course there is that famous mutilation scene.
    I know alot of the reviews here have already mentioned Bergman's use of the colour red and Sven Nykwist's cinematography but it really is outstanding. Bergman himself said that " 'Cries and Whispers' is an exploration of the soul, and ever since childhood, I have imagined the soul to be a damp membrane in varying shades of red."
    One of the great Bergman's best in my book.
  • threefolddado
    March 22, 2008
    threefolddado
    Depending on your tastes you'll either love it or hate it.
  • smootysveen
    April 17, 2007
    smootysveen
    I struggled to relate to the characters in this movie. They were just so cold. I was, however, very interested in them.
  • shannylee38
    January 21, 2007
    shannylee38
    Excellent film! If you watch it, pay attention to the color RED!

View All Viskningar och Rop (Cries and Whispers) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Don Druker
August 1, 2007
Don Druker, Chicago Reader

The much-vaunted color symbolism is so obvious as to be almost charming in its simplicity, and the gothic ambience never really resonates. Full Review

Variety Staff
August 1, 2007
Variety Staff, Variety

Ingmar Bergman's dark vision of the human condition has focused on individuals incapable of real inter-personal communications except on the most primitive level. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

It stands alone and it reduces almost everything else you're likely to see this season to the size of a small cinder. Full Review

James Berardinelli
September 19, 2002
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

In order to understand why Cries and Whispers is a great film, it must be experienced, not merely watched. Full Review

Roger Ebert
August 26, 2002
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Bergman never made another film this painful. To see it is to touch the extremes of human feeling. It is so personal, so penetrating of privacy, we almost want to look away. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
March 7, 2011
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Starring Sweden's best actresses, this is one of Ingmar Bergman's undisputed masterpieces, which was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
September 11, 2007
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

It's a beautifully photographed but painful film to watch. Full Review

June 24, 2006
Time Out

Bergman's hour remains resolutely that of the wolf. Full Review

Mark Athitakis
November 26, 2005
Mark Athitakis, Filmcritic.com

the hushed, interior tone fails to generate much drama, and the tension never explodes Full Review

Cole Smithey
October 7, 2005
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

A stunning piece of pure cinema by a master filmmaker.

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