Review of Cries and Whispers (1972) by Joanna R — 02 Nov 2009

Cries and Whispers is one of the great masterpieces of the 1970's. It stands out because of its raw emotional intensity, and willingess to delve in to human suffering. The film is essentially a visual representation of human fear, pain, and suffering, in all of their forms. Each form is represented by a different character: Agnes (portrayed by Harriet Andersson) represents physical pain; she is dying from cancer. Karin (portrayed by Ingrid Thulin), and Maria (Liv Ullmann) are Agnes' sisters who have reunited to care for their sister while she dies. However, Karin, whom is isolated in her own guilt and discontentment with her marriage, is unable to open up to another person. And Maria, though she tries to show love and empathy for both of her sisters, cannot overcome her vanity so that she can truly show affection for them. The one character who seems to be free of self-obsession is Anna, the loyal-till-death housemaid who loves and cares for Agnes as if she were her own relative. Anna's pain is seeing her beloved friend die.

This is not a film that can be easily understood or explained, but its beauty is undeniable. The cinematography is marvelous; vivid colors, most notably red, depict the human spirit in all its glory and shame. Director/Screenwriter Ingmar Bergman goes to great lengths to depict human suffering as empathetically as possible. You feel for these characters, not only due to Bergman's skillful direction, but also due to the actresses' extraordinary performances.

Also notable is a fear of death. Bergman himself was an agnostic, and his fear of what happens after we die is prevalent in the sisters who, tortured with their own guilt and shame, are forced to consider their own mortality in the face of their sister's death. Cries and Whispers is a true artistic masterpiece from a man who understood pain, but had no way of relieving himself (nor his characters) of it.