Faithless (2000)

85% of critics liked it
(68 reviews)
83% of users liked it
(1,040 ratings)

Renowned actress-turned-director Liv Ullmann helms this bleak, nuanced film about marriage and betrayal penned by legendary filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. The story is straightforward -- Marianne Vogler (Lena Endre) is a beautiful actress who is married to Markus (Thomas Hanzon), whose job as an… More Renowned actress-turned-director Liv Ullmann helms this bleak, nuanced film about marriage and betrayal penned by legendary filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. The story is straightforward -- Marianne Vogler (Lena Endre) is a beautiful actress who is married to Markus (Thomas Hanzon), whose job as an orchestra conductor requires numerous concerts abroad, and who dotes on their young daughter Isabelle (Michelle Gylemo). Yet when Marianne has an affair with family friend David (Kirster Henriksson), a film director with a volcanic temper and little regard to those around him, the fallout destroys the marriage and brings grief and suffering to all involved, particularly Isabelle. Ullman and Bergman frame this plot with a tale about an elderly director named Bergman (Erland Josephson, who played opposite Ullman in Bergman's landmark Scenes from a Marriage) who is trying to write a script about infidelity. In his austerely decorated house on a remote island, Bergman invites an actress, who may or may not be a figment of his imagination, to breathe life into the character of Marianne. The actress tells Bergman of Marianne's story through flashbacks. One evening, on the closing night of the play that Marianne was in -- and while Markus is abroad -- David arrives for dinner with her and ultimately sleeps, platonically, in her bed. This unplanned intimacy soon leads to a full blown affair, including a three week romantic getaway to Paris. When Markus finally discovers the couple in flagrante delicto, he demands an immediate divorce and custody of their daughter. This film was screened in competition at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 2 hr. 34 min.
Directed By: Liv Ullmann, Harry Beaumont
Written By: Ingmar Bergman
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Jan 26, 2001 Limited
On DVD: Oct 22, 2002
Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Films

Critic Reviews

Steve Murray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It's a movie that shows us that the silence between two people can be more dramatic than 100 pages of dialogue.
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
Bergman has been far better at working out these themes than anything in Faithless would suggest.
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
These three adults are all sick puppies. But neither the actors nor their director has created any reason for one to care.
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle
A powerful movie, with emotional rawness and honesty that have been hallmarks of Bergman's work as much as his incredible egocentricity.
, Dallas Morning News
Faithless is talky but very tight, and that cohesion relies on the bond between actors who aren't afraid to expose the depths of their characters.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
Bergman, rare among artists these days, still believes in human complexity and value. He believes that what people do matters.
Keith Uhlich, House Next Door
This could be a regretful remembrance of things past on the part of "Bergman" or it could be a pure fiction torn from the ether.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Faithless comes with a pedigree that's hard to beat.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Slow, but involving Ullman-Bergman collaboration.
Harry Guerin, RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)
Faithless is a journey worth taking, but it's best to travel alone.
Rich Cline, Film Threat
It's a provocative, deeply detailed film, finely crafted both in the studio and in the editing room by Ullman.
Greg Muskewitz, eFilmCritic.com
The then over-amplification of psychiatric-like meetings and counseling and the trivial and pedestrian matter of the affair are drowned in a mawkish, morose and unendurable pacing.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
It's well worth seeing ... as long as two and a half hours of intense Swedish drama don't scare you off!
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
Without giving too much away, I can tell you that my response to these events was a thundering 'duh.'
John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews
No longer seeking God and Truth, Bergman now searches for the more attainable goals of forgiveness and redemption.
Jean Lowerison, San Diego Metropolitan
Henriksson, Hanzon and Josephson are fine as well, but the film belongs to Endre and Gylemo.
David Sterritt, Christian Science Monitor
A probing look at love, marriage, fidelity, rivalry, and other deep-rooted emotional issues.

Read all 17 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Daisy M

<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i32.tinypic.com/27yrew0.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> I'm not familiar with Ingmar Bergman's movies. I have not… More
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i32.tinypic.com/27yrew0.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> I'm not familiar with Ingmar Bergman's movies. I have not seen any of his movies till Faithless. I know it was directed by Liv Ulmann but written by Bergman. My friend told me, you will recognize Bergman's themes in almost all his movies.The movie showed an old man, representing Bergman,writing a new script for a movie. A lady accompanies him, telling him everything about her life, as a married woman, betraying her husband with his best friend and the consequences of her actions. The script seemed predictable, but was really surprising.I It was just something different for me but unbelievably good.