Shame (1968)

Shame (1968)

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“What happens when they wake up and feel ashamed of all this?”

Synopsis:
A husband (Max von Sydow) and wife (Liv Ullmann) surviving on an island farm during a civil war find their marriage increasingly strained.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Ingmar Bergman Films
  • Liv Ullmann Films
  • Marital Problems
  • Max von Sydow Films
  • Scandinavian Films
  • Survival

Review:
In this follow-up to Hour of the Wolf (1968), Ingmar Bergman reteamed Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann as a husband-and-wife duo, this time reflecting feistier dynamics. While these former classical violinists want to simply live a peaceful rural life together:

… they can’t stop quibbling, a situation made even harder given that their lives are repeatedly interrupted by violence from an ongoing civil war, with soldiers and tanks everywhere on the streets.

Made during the height of the Vietnam War, this semi-absurd socio-political film seems to be Bergman’s attempt to comment upon a potential dystopian near-future. As noted in Michael Sragow’s essay for the Criterion Collection:

“As the sixties neared their end, even Bergman, the screen’s foremost investigator of private life, intimate behavior, and post-religious faith, felt the need to make a statement on that turbulent decade and the legacy of World War II.”

To that end, while Sweden infamously took a neutral stance during World War II, things are far from impartial in this film; the island is in a perpetual state of disarray and disruption:

… and the couple literally can’t find anywhere to rest or stay safe. The main narrative arc shows von Sydow becoming more determined than ever simply to survive at any cost; while Ullmann hates seeing his increasing brutality, she also knows she can’t live without him during such uncertain times. This challenging and provocative film isn’t easy to watch, but represents a unique entry in Bergman’s oeuvre and is must-see for fans of his work.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Liv Ullmann as Eva Rosenberg
  • Max von Sydow as Jan Rosenberg
  • Fine location shooting on Fårö island
  • Sven Nykvist’s cinematography

Must See?
Yes. Listed as a film with Historical Importance and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

  • Important Director

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

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One thought on “Shame (1968)”

  1. Rewatch (5/17/22). A once-must, as a unique and powerful Bergman film.

    In retrospect, Bergman felt that the script for this film could have been stronger.- but I don’t think he has much to apologize for. Unlike a good number of other Bergman films, ‘Shame’ has more of a cumulative effect.

    But it also has a take-off punch – when Björnstrand, as more of a former colleague to von Sydow and Ullman’s characters, wakes them up to reality with, “The sacred freedom of art. The sacred gutlessness of art.” It’s a powerful moment – which sends the rest of the film in a progressive direction toward madness.

    Von Sydow’s character, ultimately, is a fascinating portrait of fear turned to survival tactics.

    This is a film that benefits from at least one repeat viewing.

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