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Cries & Whispers - Criterion Collection

Cries & Whispers - Criterion Collection

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: You'll wish YOU had a terminal disease.
Review: Watch the interview with Bergman and his red-headed friend, whats-his-name, to get an idea of how big a jerk this guy is. Listen as he proudly discusses the fact that he was a rotten husband and absentee father who cared only for his work. What a guy...

As for the movie, it strikes me as something that you may want to [fall asleep] to.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Stunning!
Review: WHAT A FILM !

It counts among my 5 favourite movies of all times, of the movies I've seen, together with Gone With the Wind, The Sound of Music, Fanny and Alexander and possibly Grease.

I first saw this film when I was 17 in 1982 in a small, historic re-run cinema in Evanston, Ill. I remember when the movie ended and the lights came on, I was stunned. I remember thinking I had never been more stunned by a movie. I was so stunned I had to sit a few moments more in my seat before leaving. (And I have not been more affected by a movie ever since, especially considering the churning out of pretentious, trying-very-hard-to-be-works-of-art movies (and music, and movie stars and architecture etc.) in the 1990s which is probably a consequence of the moral decline of our youth-oriented, cynical, shallow, souless, commercial, sorry, hip-hop, flashy, oh-so-clever times.)

Possibly, for some people, their personal temperament may influence whether or not they would like the film. For it seems air-tight pessimistic. So some people may not like it. I liked it for what seems to be its artistic expression of the meaninglessness of life. Some of the notable things about the movie seems to be Harriet Andersson in her screams of agony as Agnes, which seems so real that I kept trying to figure out whether it could be acting. I have not seem something more morbid. Some other memorable moments: When the priest begs Agnes: "Agnes my dear child listen to what I have to say to you." And ofcourse, the ending seems to be supreme in its irony. The camera zooms in closer and closer as silence prevails. And the voice over as she continues her thought. It makes you feel that it is moments such as this that elevates the film to a work of art.

Very moving film dealing with the big issues of existence. Speaking as a lay person, it appeals to my emotions as being a great work of art.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Cinema's Most Haunting Gem
Review: While Cries and Whispers may be only my second favorite film--I can't decide which I like more, this film or Wild Strawberries--it is definitely the most haunting cinematic experience I've ever had. I watch this film on average once every week or two and it is as stunning at the 20th viewing as at the first. The ensemble performances by the four actresses, the matchless cinematography by Sven Nykvist, and the emotions evoked by Bergman's script make for a peerless film experience. One viewing of Cries and Whispers will up the ante in your film repertoire. Cannot possibly recommend this enough.


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