Featured Audience Ratings

• Bob S

  
  Ingmar Bergman, 1918-2007

• Greg S

  
  A nurse takes care of an actress who has decided to stop talking, and after confessing her guilty secrets to the silent woman she finds her own persona starting to blur into the other woman's. A strange and mysterious psychoanalytical horror film; Ingmar Bergman paints the self… More
  A nurse takes care of an actress who has decided to stop talking, and after confessing her guilty secrets to the silent woman she finds her own persona starting to blur into the other woman's. A strange and mysterious psychoanalytical horror film; Ingmar Bergman paints the self as a very scary place you wouldn't want to visit.

• Sophie B

  
  An interesting look into mental health that twists and turns around the main question of 'who is who' and 'what makes me'. Brilliant performances from both stars.

• Jim H

  
  A troubled nurse treats a successful actress who has stopped speaking. Ingmar Bergman doesn't shy away from the big issues. Persona's characters encounter the existence/relevance of God, fear of death, motherhood, the impossibility of human connection, and the struggles… More
  A troubled nurse treats a successful actress who has stopped speaking. Ingmar Bergman doesn't shy away from the big issues. Persona's characters encounter the existence/relevance of God, fear of death, motherhood, the impossibility of human connection, and the struggles artists must undergo in order to maintain a sense of selfhood despite their profession's pressures. And in most film and literature, it's usually men who undertake these questions, but 90% of Persona depicts two women coming to terms with such grand, philosophical issues, which is ground-breaking even though it shouldn't be. Most of the film is profound without being avant garde for avant garde's sake with several notable exceptions like the very beginning and parts of the denouement, and thus, most of the film is accessible and thought-provoking. I can't say that there is anything revolutionary or that the film comes to a unique conclusion about the grand questions it encounters, but the very fact that Bergman explores the nature of being raises film to a stature enjoyed by few other art forms. Overall, Bergman is one of serious intellectual film's masters, more accessible than Godard and more interesting than Fellini, and Persona is one of his masterpieces.

• Lucas M

  
  Surrealist and intense, Ingmar Bergman's Persona, it's an unique masterpiece.

• Dan S

  
  An intense, well-constructed look on insanity, denial, and femininity at a cabin along a beach, where a nurse (Bibi Andersson) and recently near-catatonic patient (Live Ullmann) struggle to control their emotions. In terms of Bergman films, I feel as though both "Wild… More
  An intense, well-constructed look on insanity, denial, and femininity at a cabin along a beach, where a nurse (Bibi Andersson) and recently near-catatonic patient (Live Ullmann) struggle to control their emotions. In terms of Bergman films, I feel as though both "Wild Strawberries" and "The Seventh Seal" are better overall films, but that is not to slight this particular film, which is a fascinating pseudo-nightmare that is clearly under the control of a master film-maker. It is at times too slow and too talky at times, but for the most part the dialogue is sharp and the story unfolds both smoothly and surprisingly. Both Andersson and Ullman are phenomenal, and Bergman captures enough wide-eyed stares and creepy poses to last three to four films, which leaves the viewer in admiration of this unabashed gem. Not quite perfect, as said, but still an outstanding picture worthy of a view.

• KJ P

  
  One after another, this film provides a series of misunderstood question marks. Critics around the world have come up with hundreds of meanings for this film, and like all of them, I have my own thoughts. Persona is about a woman who is looking after an actress, turned non-speaking… More
  One after another, this film provides a series of misunderstood question marks. Critics around the world have come up with hundreds of meanings for this film, and like all of them, I have my own thoughts. Persona is about a woman who is looking after an actress, turned non-speaking individual. Eventually, she takes her away to a beach where she spills her deepest, darkest, and dirtiest secrets. Seeing as she is non-responsive, she believes she will keep these sexually controversial memories to herself. Things begin to get confusing as she falls in love with her patient. An awkwardly unheard of romance begins, and the film spirals into jumbled, yet amazing screen transitions and designs. "Persona" will definitely mess with your mind in more ways than one, but overall, even though non of your questions will ever fully be answered, this film is magnificent!

• Michael G

  
  Persona is a movie that leaves my feelings about it as segmented as many aspects of the story. The imagery and cinematography are worth a watch alone, but the dreamlike quality of the movie and the story itself put me out like a 6-pack of Benadryl. I love how Persona is a blueprint of… More
  Persona is a movie that leaves my feelings about it as segmented as many aspects of the story. The imagery and cinematography are worth a watch alone, but the dreamlike quality of the movie and the story itself put me out like a 6-pack of Benadryl. I love how Persona is a blueprint of sorts for Mulholland Drive and Fight Club but by the end of the movie I feel like I've been taking crazy pills for days and (not necessarily as a result) I have no idea what the hell's happening. I'm so thankful its not a long movie.

• Cindy I

  
  Full review coming soon...

• Cassandra M

  
  For all its bizarreness; avant-garde feel and totally disorientating visual style at points, Persona actually tells rather a straight forward narrative and adopts a relatively simple visual approach. The camera work is sly and unspectacular, relying on the film itself and its various… More
  For all its bizarreness; avant-garde feel and totally disorientating visual style at points, Persona actually tells rather a straight forward narrative and adopts a relatively simple visual approach. The camera work is sly and unspectacular, relying on the film itself and its various bursts of disturbance to get across more of a 'bang' in the viewers mind and its story, with particular attention to the manner in which a relatively routine love story-come-psychoanalytical tale is told, is shot and unfolded using gentle camera-work and soft female voices to aid the visuals. Such a juxtaposition between visuals and timbre are the hallmarks of someone who knows what they're doing especially given the other visuals elements director Bergman includes. So about these other visual elements. The film begins with such a rapid display of images; it is difficult for the human eye to garner exactly what has just flashed up. This is after a slow and deliberate track into a person lying in a hospital, looking dead. The opening and closing montages which share the same powerful punch are two of the most eerie I've seen and rank up there with Elem Klimov's 1985 film Come and See and its closing display of images. But what does it all mean? Thrown in at the end of hands touching steamed up glass and odd looking creepy bugs crawling up same said panes is a projection unit playing rolls of developed film onto a white screen. I think to come up with a stone wall idea on what this means is futility of sorts. It could be Bergman reminding us that a film is still just a film and the following events (and events we've just seen) are obviously not real but the psychology behind the events to come (or just transpired) are real and do exist. This forces us to consider a complicated area: Sweden's (the nation that made the film) or indeed the world's attention to psychoanalysis and how much we are aware of such a thing. Although the film is produced several decades after the writings, it was made a mere six years after Hitchcock's Psycho which itself included such issues. Bergman's Persona covers the loneliness and isolation of a character named Alma (Andersson) who is a nurse and her gradual appreciation for hospital patient Elizabeth (Ullmann) after so many deviations and, quite possibly, regrets to do with and into the past of the life. But the film is a little more than a psychological study, even if by not very much. From my own viewpoint, no matter how wrong or how basic it may be or respectively sound, Alma suffers from this loneliness so much that to have the individual of Elizabeth around actually reminds her of what it's like to have human contact. Indeed, the contact is not a physical one and is not one as graphic as regressions into the past have us believe they used to be. One scene has Alma describe an orgy on a beach with males she did not know at the time and tells us of a friend who was also there but where is that friend now and what meaning does it have toward the larger scale of things? How did she become so 'unpopular' and secluded? There can be no denying that Alma comes across as a confident person and looking at the role she plays within the film, a nurse, you would think she needs attributes of charisma and a strong soul in order to combat any nastiness she might see on the job and to work up a strong communicative relationship with any doctor or patient she may come across. Incidentally, that scenario is played out in this film and makes me think that the film is somewhat purely a study of an individual loosing consciousness of what's around her but using the mute character of Elizabeth as a slow burning reason to tell the story. Either way, it's all very complicated but somewhat intriguing. Persona is the sort of film that gives you a headache but it's one of those 'nice' headaches you get when trying to work something out. Due to the sheer nature of the film and general inclusion of elements of the avant-garde, there cannot really be a stone wall conclusion to the film. Much like Luis Buñuel's early work, Persona is a mixed bag of interesting ideas and un-readable content ? an exercise in futility from any non-qualified film personnel to read into and get marginally close to a correct reading. The film has its characters write letters; read the letters; question one's sanity; show us cameras and film stock being played; have the fourth wall being broken; give us metaphorical montages that are too quick to absorb and then have the audacity to render whatever reading we may have into it all incorrect. But I guess that's all part of the genius of Bergman.

• Randy T

  
  Is it a great film? Yes. Is it one I'd like to own and watch over and over and over again? No. Igmar Bergman's films are, for me, much like those of Fellini. They're masterpieces of modernist, expressionistic art but there is sometimes no personal connection.… More
  Is it a great film? Yes. Is it one I'd like to own and watch over and over and over again? No. Igmar Bergman's films are, for me, much like those of Fellini. They're masterpieces of modernist, expressionistic art but there is sometimes no personal connection. Intense? Yes! Recommended viewing? Of course. Empathetical and recognizable? Absolutely not.

• Anthony L

  
  This is possibly the most beautifully directed film I've ever seen. The black and white photography is sublime, the performances are amazing, especially from Bibi Andersson who's performance is incomparable. The conclusion of this film was highly original of its time and has… More
  This is possibly the most beautifully directed film I've ever seen. The black and white photography is sublime, the performances are amazing, especially from Bibi Andersson who's performance is incomparable. The conclusion of this film was highly original of its time and has been Imitated many times since, some good, some excellent but none are quite as hauntingly beautiful as Persona. An absolute masterpiece and a must see!!

• Jennifer D

  
  Weird. Good, but weird. :)

• Emil K

  
  A Psychological study of a losing one's personality and mental health. Persona is film that truly holds up many viewings and still there is no clear answer of all the films mysteries. It leaves so much room for open speculation that you have to admire Bergman for his… More
  A Psychological study of a losing one's personality and mental health. Persona is film that truly holds up many viewings and still there is no clear answer of all the films mysteries. It leaves so much room for open speculation that you have to admire Bergman for his uncompromising style. It does suffer a bit from typical heavines of Bergaman's and does go over the top with it's experimental style style. Surely one of the interesting films from Bergman.

• Saskia D

  
  My first Bergman film! I was impressed! It's sooo... fresh? I really don't know another way to describe it... it doesn't seem to have any restrictions. Very intimate because of the close-ups, but the characters are inaccessible as well. Vague, I know, but I'm… More
  My first Bergman film! I was impressed! It's sooo... fresh? I really don't know another way to describe it... it doesn't seem to have any restrictions. Very intimate because of the close-ups, but the characters are inaccessible as well. Vague, I know, but I'm still processing it, so maybe I'll say something useful and intelligible about it later. <div style="width:451px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/movie/persona/photos?p=4365981"><img src="http://content7.flixster.com/photo/43/65/98/4365981_gal.jpg" border="0"/></a><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com">

• Emily A

  
  The thing about Ingmar Bergman is that I really don't think he cares whether or not you understand his movies. But sometimes he should. I really like this movie, but for the life of me I couldn't explain what Bergman was trying to get at. The thing about Persona that kept my… More
  The thing about Ingmar Bergman is that I really don't think he cares whether or not you understand his movies. But sometimes he should. I really like this movie, but for the life of me I couldn't explain what Bergman was trying to get at. The thing about Persona that kept my attention was Bibi Andersson, a beautiful and talented actress delivering interesting dialogue. Not much story to speak of, but Andersson crafts a very engaging and complex character, and that is essentially the force that drives the film. There are times when it would seem that the film is trying to do something more complex with its characters then it had the will to do - that half-asses identity switching twist - but the film did not suffer too greatly for it.

• Luke B

  
  Bergman has many wonderful musings to explore here but fails to develop a character or story interesting enough to present them. I find that presentation is the key and is something David Lynch pulls off brilliantly even in times of confusion. Film can be an artistic expression but it… More
  Bergman has many wonderful musings to explore here but fails to develop a character or story interesting enough to present them. I find that presentation is the key and is something David Lynch pulls off brilliantly even in times of confusion. Film can be an artistic expression but it should also be interesting. Bergman's other films are beautifully constructed, but Persona is such a grim and emotionless tale it's hard to really analyse what Bergman was trying to do or say. For myself this was a rare misstep from a brilliant film maker. Though the performances were wonderfully handled and the photography was stunning.

• Stella D

  
  umm wow. it's been much copied but still makes an impact. the deconstructionist style effectively alienates the viewer but it's also fascinating to watch. very heavy. i wonder how much of this was inspired by bergman's affairs with both women, who were best friends… More
  umm wow. it's been much copied but still makes an impact. the deconstructionist style effectively alienates the viewer but it's also fascinating to watch. very heavy. i wonder how much of this was inspired by bergman's affairs with both women, who were best friends as well!

• Ken S

  
  It's like Mullholand Drive meets Fight Club with Swedish chicks

• Pierluigi P

  
  Intense, strange and stunning. beautiful pair of actresses, dazzling cinematography, bizarre and compelling subject.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings