Rating: 
Summary: Bergman's Brilliant Examination of War
Review: Along with "Persona" (1966), "Shame" ranks as one of Bergman's greatest achievements and remains as relevant and frightening as it was in 1968. While "Persona" dealt with the interior fragmentation of individual identity, "Shame" extends the dissolution to civilization as a whole. It stars Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann as concert violinists who wish only to live undisturbed while a civil war rages around them. Inevitably, the war absorbs their lives and forces out many hidden and unappealing features in their characters. Bergman does an extraordinary job portraying a society collapsing into terror and oppression - an all the more impressive achievement when you realize that most of his films are intense character examinations featuring a few actors and are not staged on such a wide a scope as this. The performances are all first-rate, as you would expect, and it presents - along with "Persona" - a probling presentation of key contemporary problems and, like the former film, permits the possibility that their are no fixed answers. The fate of Sydow and Ullmann's characters are left uncertain and the outcome of the war, as well as the combatants, are never specified - the viewer is never given easy point to orient himself; everything is unknowable, elusive, destructive. There is no salvation for these careers, no "Schindler's List" (a film that would make any interesting companion to this one) to save them from these horrors. "Shame" is one of the best films ever made about ordinary people reacting to the horror of war. Bergman has synthesized many of his thematic concerns - about alienation, the collapse of any fixed certainty in a godless world - into a startingly lucid presentation of a civilization falling apart at the seams. He has here created two back-to-back films which practically sum up the twentieth-century experience for Western man. "Shame" is a flawless masterpiece.
Rating: 
Summary: Great film; bad commentary by Gervais
Review: Among the Bergman films I have seen, this is an unusually realistic and absorbing film. In fact, I recommend this film to people who probably would not appreciate or enjoy his other films. But for the same reasons I recommend the film to mainstream filmgoers, I fear that the film might not reward repeat viewing in the same way as Bergman's more difficult films (like Persona, The Silence, perhaps Cries & Whispers). Of course, not everyone buys DVDs for the same reasons I do. Anyway, I'm writing this review mainly to warn viewers of this DVD not to expect much from the audio commentary by Marc Gervais. He speaks mostly of other films, of the actors, of the varying degrees of greyness, and of his own mundane middle-class lifestyle. On the latter point, consider the fact that Gervais completely ignores the great "shame" monologue when he naively talks about how waiting in a crowded doctor's office is probably the closest thing any film viewer has experienced to the concentration camp-like environment which the protagonists must endure. Worst of all, Gervais gets the war all wrong. He doesn't realize that the final bombardment defeats the invaders ...at least for a while, at least on that part of the island. He doesn't realize that the government doesn't change hands -- it just gets incredibly repressive, just like governments do in wartime. He actually believes that Jacobi acts as a traitor following the invasion of the island. In making these mistakes, Gervais obviously misses so many clues that contradict Gervais' interpretation. For example, there is the silence following the big bombardment -- indicating that the invaders have been put down. Then there is the reaction of the camp officials to Ullman's participation in the filmed interview. Plus, the camp officials speak of the invaders liquidating nearly all the citizens (note that the events & scenes onscreen indicate that the citizens might have been killed in the crossfire more than anything else). Finally, there are many smaller clues that Gervais should have recognized later. Like when Jacobi speaks of having just visited his son in the military while his son was on leave -- something that would be impossible if Jacobi were acting as traitor or even living in rebel-controlled territory. Generally, Gervais seems oblivious to the different ideological discourse on each side. Yet somehow Gervais lived through the 1960s and the Cold War without learning how to recognize the discourse and behavior of reactionary regimes or even the most stereotypical discourse of the orthodox, dogmatic left. As a result of his misinterpretation, Gervais misses the fact that a once-friendly & benign government becomes arbitrarily cruel and repressive to it's own people. He also misses the fact that the govt bombs its own territory -- nearly destroying our couple's house -- to finally "pacify" part of the island. Finally, he misses the way in which the danger comes from one side, then from the other side, then from the other again, then of course from within. I discuss this at length only because this is a matter of completely misreading the film, of the plot itself, of essentially conflating two different characters at various points. True, both sides are shown to be equally guilty in this film. And Bergman dresses them in identical uniforms. But still, I expect better from a scholar's commentary ...and from any DVD release from such a significant -- and notoriously challenging -- director as Ingmar Bergman. PS: If you like 'Shame', don't miss 'Come and See'. The recent 'Bloody Sunday' also serves a similar purpose -- to document and demonstrate the power of war to reshape individuals in the most horrifying ways.
Rating:
Summary: It can shock you
Review: An innocent couple living on a farm in a place isolated from civilization suddenly find themselves in a war. The film depicts in verismo style the changes the two undergo as events develop. The shocking aspect is not just the brutality of the war, but that under the right circumstances people resort to animal behavior. That's where shame comes in. Warning: be prepared to discover in very realistic fashion that the human race is not so noble after all.
Rating:
Summary: Living In Shame?
Review: I don't care what people think of me after I make this statement. I don't care if people think I'm over dramatizing or if I sound pretentious. But, Ingmar Bergman, to me, is a cinematic genius! People offen ask me, why do you like Bergman? Aren't you a little too young to watch his films (I'm 18)? When asked these questions my answer is always the same. I watch Bergman's films because I simply love the way he shows the human condition. Unlike Hollywood filmmakers, I think his films are far more personal. He shows society at face values, our good sides and bad. As for me being too young. Well, do you have to be a certain age to have a love for the finer things? Bergman's films almost if not always conjure important issues. His films make you think. And, they, to me anyway, always have characters that we can relate to. His films leave an emotional impact on his audience. Watching films like "Wild Strawberries", or "The Seventh Seal", "Through A Glass, Darkly", "Persona", and "Cries and Whispers" they are all able to connect with the viewer. We feel for these characters. I've offen joked around and have said that the two characters in "Strawberries" and "Seal" are me! And "Shame" is just as powerful as any other Bergman film. The images we see on screen, grip us. They are intense, but, not like the way cop movies are. They are intense in a realistic point of view. "Shame" directed and written by Bergman stars Max von Sydow and Liv Ullman as Jan and Eva Rosenberg, former violinist, who have not played in some time. I assume this is due to the civil war that is happening. They live on a farm, far away from society. And, according to Jan (Sydow) that is a good thing. He follows the rule of, the less you know the better. He and Eva (Ullman) are having their own personal problems in they relationship. She wants to have a baby, and he thinks they should wait. They have no money, and it clearly is not safe where they are living. They can hear bombs being dropped and the sound of guns being fired. If all of this wasn't enough they are later accused of being in trust I suppose you can say with the enemy. Once you hit this point of the film it is the second "act". They are now put to the test to find out exactly what kind of people they are. Are they just or not? After a suprise ending we see that they have a lot of secrets they now must keep to each other, so they must live in "Shame" due to their actions. The cinematography by Sven Nykvist is wonderful. I feel his work really adds to the film. I found this film very hard to find. I actually had to leave Chicago to buy it lol. I don't know if anyone else had the same problem or not, but if you do, it's really worth the search. Great movie for those who haven't seen a Bergman film yet ("Shame" on you! lol). Powerful, wonderful acting, great directing and photography. A Bergman masterpiece!
Rating:
Summary: Good not great
Review: I have seen many Bergman films and love them all. "Shame" is a good Bergman film but not one of his best. Everything about the movie is great - the performances, the photography, the script etc etc. What disappointed me with the film was the lack of authenticity depicted in the war scenes. I guess before movies like "Apocalypse Now" and "Saving Private Ryan", this movie would have been considered very realistic in the way the war was depicted. However Bergman had never done a war movie before and it shows. Still, the other aspects of the film are top notch and overall worthy of 4 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: wrongly cropped from OAR 1.37:1 to 1.66:1 and it looks awful
Review: MGM have not fully researched the OAR of this film. They have released this DVD in the wrong aspect ratio (1.66:1 instead of 1.37:1) resulting in A LOT of bad looking framing. The film may have been released theatrically in the US at 1.66:1 but if so THIS WAS WRONG. The OAR of the film is 1.37:1 and it is released in this ratio around the world (see the recent French DVD for example).
Rating:
Summary: Great film; bad commentary by Gervais
Review: MGM recalled the original issues of "Hour of the Wolf" and "Shame" because they were presented in a fake widescreen that cropped the top and bottom of the film. These are masterpieces that should not be missed, and they are now beautifully presented in their proper aspect ration of 1.33:1 with the entire image now intact.
Rating:
Summary: Bergman's War Movie; And One Of His Very Best
Review: One doesn't think of Ingmar Bergman as a director of action or thriller (genre) movies. But he directs the war sequences in "Shame" with stunning confidence. It seems he could have made many more big (even epic) movies if he had been so inclined. This film features Bergman veterans Von Sydow and Ullmann as ordinary people who are turned into refugees by a ferocious war in which they get caught. They lose everything, are harassed, beaten and exploited. Eventually the neurotic Von Sydow proves he will do anything to survive. Simone Weil once wrote "the great mystery of life is not suffering, but affliction." That is: suffering brings out the best in some people, others it turns into beasts. This movie asks that most painful question: what would you do in the same situation? The film presents a harrowing landscape of hell on earth that ends in a climax that will inevitably remind you of "Titanic", although Bergman did it first. It's more immediately accessible than many of Bergman's other movies because the anguish here takes external form, not just emotionally interior terror. A neglected masterpiece that should be seen at least as often as his other great works.
Rating:
Summary: Bergman's War Movie; And One Of His Very Best
Review: One doesn't think of Ingmar Bergman as a director of action or thriller (genre) movies. But he directs the war sequences in "Shame" with stunning confidence. It seems he could have made many more big (even epic) movies if he had been so inclined. This film features Bergman veterans Von Sydow and Ullmann as ordinary people who are turned into refugees by a ferocious war in which they get caught. They lose everything, are harassed, beaten and exploited. Eventually the neurotic Von Sydow proves he will do anything to survive. Simone Weil once wrote "the great mystery of life is not suffering, but affliction." That is: suffering brings out the best in some people, others it turns into beasts. This movie asks that most painful question: what would you do in the same situation? The film presents a harrowing landscape of hell on earth that ends in a climax that will inevitably remind you of "Titanic", although Bergman did it first. It's more immediately accessible than many of Bergman's other movies because the anguish here takes external form, not just emotionally interior terror. A neglected masterpiece that should be seen at least as often as his other great works.
Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant Interpersonal Conflict...
Review: Shame (Skammen) is a drama set in a pre-war and war where the film depicts the interpersonal relationship between Eva (Liv Ullman) and Jan (Max von Sydow) and how the present circumstances affect the couple. Jan is a neurotic dreamer who attempts to avoid anything that causes him any level of discomfort. His wife, Eva, is a hopeful realist with dreams about a better future where they both can be happy. Eva is the anchor that secures Jan in their mundane existence on a small farm on a remote island as they have withdrawn from public life. Jan is the reason why they no longer live in an urban area because he does everything within his powers to stay away from people and civilization. The solitude is wearing on Eva, which emerges every now and then in the shape of irritation. However, Eva expresses her deep love for Jan by hiding her irritation and instead focuses on the happy moments that they have. Eva and Jan are aware of the imminent threat of war as their neighbors inform them occasionally, but when the war breaks out they are not prepared for its brutality as it tears them apart. They both realize that they distance themselves from each other as their characters slowly change. Bergman personifies the rift that develops between couples as they emotionally part during a phase when change comes from dramatic situations. The subtlety in which the confrontation between Eva and Jan is illustrated in is an example of Bergman's refined skills as a storyteller as he places them in a war where the couple does not wage war against each other. Shame offers a painfully cinematic experience, however, this is Bergman's intentions as he brings another brilliant event to the audience.
|
