Introduction
Intense, contained, expertly performed, and haunting, Ingmar Bergman’s Cries and Whispers (1972) goes many levels deep to show the selfishness of humanity while monstrosities happen around us.
Synopsis
In a large mansion during the 19th century, Agnes (Harriet Andersson) is dying of cancer. Her sisters Maria (Liv Ullmann) and Karin (Ingrid Thulin) arrive to be present for their sister’s final days. As Agnes writhes in constant pain, her sisters are too self-obsessed with their own struggles and relationship with each other to be bothered by Agnes’ pain.
Agnes’ only comfort is the presence and tenderness of Anna (Kari Sylwan), the deeply religious family maid. As Agnes fades and eventually dies, the women must deal with their own relationships with each.
Themes
Bergman has faced his share of criticism for his tormenting of women, and this film lands squarely in the middle of that criticism. Maria and Karin are borderline annoyed and inconvenienced by Agnes’ horribly painful demise and can’t be bothered to separate from their own problems to comfort her. Maria is too preoccupied with the doctor she once loved to notice Agnes, while Karin has her own pain to deal with. No woman isn’t free from some sort of misery.
Following Agnes’ death, Maria and Karin are much more concerned with their own connection rather than the connection to the sister they never tried to keep. Meanwhile, Anna is the only pure soul in the house. Selflessness is her truest characteristic, and that selflessness is not only is unrewarded but met with a near punishment. Maria and Karin are too preoccupied with themselves to show any selflessness to ease Agnes’ pain.
Cast
Andersson is nothing short of remarkable. Bergman certainly wants to show Agnes as being in considerable agony, and Andersson delivers on that agony with painstaking realism. Outside of her physical pain, her face wears a level of exhaustion and untouched desire without speaking directly to it. Sylwan plays the wonderful calm complement to the harsh abrasiveness of Karin and Maria. She has no real stake in the sister’s relationship, but her own pain causes her to reach out and comfort Agnes in her time of need. Sylwan lives out the meek existence of a servant, but one that knows her eventual conclusion is unjust, despite saying nothing about it.
Ullmann and Thulin have the pricklier roles, but perform beautifully. Ullmann’s grace is a bonus feature to a character who is much harsher and crueler than it plays out. Her desire to connect to her remaining sister rings hollow despite her own belief in her own desires. Thulin is equally wonderful as the most stern and proper of the siblings, but the one who lives through her own self-righteousness. It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about the situation, Karin knows she is in the right, despite what her own head tells her.
Direction/Crafts
Bergman bathes the film in blood red, echoing the inherent emotional violence to go along with Agnes’ pain. Additionally, Bergman plays with reality, incorporating flashbacks and dream sequences for a truly unsettling, but unforgetable experience. The Oscar-winning cinematography from Sven Nykvist keeps the film bathed in light despite the contrasting tone. The camera lingers on faces, a Bergman trademark, to the point of repulsion. As the camera refuses to cut away from expressions and reactions, the narrative transforms into a perverse circus of anger, resentment, and lasting pain.
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