En Passion (A Passion) (The Passion of Anna) (1969)

100% of critics liked it
(11 reviews)
84% of users liked it
(2,086 ratings)

Liv Ullmann plays the widowed, crippled Anna Fromm, who while traveling on a remote island calls upon reclusive ex-convict Andreas (Max von Sydow) in order to use his telephone. After Anna leaves, Andreas discovers she's left her purse behind; he opens it, hoping to find some identification. A… More Liv Ullmann plays the widowed, crippled Anna Fromm, who while traveling on a remote island calls upon reclusive ex-convict Andreas (Max von Sydow) in order to use his telephone. After Anna leaves, Andreas discovers she's left her purse behind; he opens it, hoping to find some identification. A letter in the purse details Anna's unhappy marriage and the depths of her loneliness. Eventually, Anna moves in with Andreas, who has become more closely acquainted with her through the intervention of Anna's friends Ellis and Evan Vergerus (Bibi Andersson and Erland Josephson). But tensions and conflicts ensue, and threaten to destroy the burgeoning relationship between Anna and Andreas. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 41 min.
Directed By: Ingmar Bergman
Written By: Ingmar Bergman
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: May 28, 1970 Wide
On DVD: Feb 10, 2004

Critic Reviews

Vincent Canby, New York Times
The Passion of Anna is one of Bergman's most beautiful films (it is his second in color), all tawny, wintry grays and browns, deep blacks, and dark greens, highlighted occasionally by splashes of red, sometimes blood.
Don Druker, Chicago Reader
A tentative, plotless film that pulses with the rhythms of life rather than the rhythms of drama.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Flawed, but still brilliant, The Passion is an essential.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Never less than fascinating, even when it falters.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
The Passion of Anna employs some interesting techniques, such as interviews with each of the four main actors and also sheds some light on many of the baroque mannerisms and symbols that have come to be associated with Bergman.
Derek Adams, Time Out
Another bold step forward in Bergman's analysis of human isolation.
Leo Goldsmith, Not Coming to a Theater Near You
The "passion" of the film's title is not a physical suffering, like Christ's at Golgotha, but an emotional one, an exposing of oneself to the world for the sake of love.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Um filme de erros e acertos: o plano final, por exemplo, é brilhante; em contrapartida, as entrevistas com os atores durante a projeção acabam soando apenas pretensiosas.
Sam Jordison, Film4
While it lacks the lightness of touch and smooth flow that distinguishes Bergman at his finest, this is still a powerful, profound work of art.

Read all 9 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Anthony L

Apart from the moving imagery and the fantastic acting - especially by Liv Ullmann, The Passion of Anna is quite a slow burner with not much pay off. It lacks the same magic and wisdom or his other work around this time but also represents a change in direction and a bit of a lull… More
Apart from the moving imagery and the fantastic acting - especially by Liv Ullmann, The Passion of Anna is quite a slow burner with not much pay off. It lacks the same magic and wisdom or his other work around this time but also represents a change in direction and a bit of a lull between two peaks of success. This is all in comparison to other work though, The Passion of Anna is a delicate but brutal tale of bitter relationships, purposely unpleasant at times but pretty hard to enjoy fully.
♥Robyn

The Passion of Anna, which takes place on a remote island, is an extremely complex tale about four people trying to fill the voids left by disillusion and past tragedies.
Cassandra M

Bergman is the master when it comes to dealing with the intricacies of love and relationships, this film is extraordinary in the way it slowly gives us an insight into these four lost souls as the struggle to make sense of life and try to find their way which isn't easy, the… More
Bergman is the master when it comes to dealing with the intricacies of love and relationships, this film is extraordinary in the way it slowly gives us an insight into these four lost souls as the struggle to make sense of life and try to find their way which isn't easy, the bleak landscape, the desolation, the sparse dialogue, Liv Ullemans face in close up all come together to produce an explosive emotional roller-coaster with an inevitable outcome, the violence of the characters emotions spill over into the environment in the form of an unexplained killer of dumb animals. Where are the contemporary films to match such genius, where are the voices to guide us through the fog?