The Silence (1963)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Bob S

  
  Ingmar Bergman, 1918-2007

• Aditya G

  
  Sometimes words aren't necessary to convey meaning or emotion. Quiet is as effective as any spoken language or detailed text. Master filmmaker Ingmar Bergman's "The Silence (Tystnaden)" which shocked the audience at the time of its release goes way ahead of its… More
  Sometimes words aren't necessary to convey meaning or emotion. Quiet is as effective as any spoken language or detailed text. Master filmmaker Ingmar Bergman's "The Silence (Tystnaden)" which shocked the audience at the time of its release goes way ahead of its time and proves just that. Writing about the plot isn't going to serve any purpose here. There isn't a conventional "plot" to speak of. "The Silence" mostly explores the three principal characters and their emotional chemistry. Right from the first frame, in a train compartment we are introduced to sisters Anna (Gunnel Lindblom) and Ester (Ingrid Thulin). They are accompanied by Anna's son Johan (Jörgen Lindström), a boy of about 10. Instantly we gain knowledge that something isn't right between the sisters. We also know that Ester seems to be seriously ill with some kind of terminal illness, and Anna perhaps considers her a burden. [img]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bDU2lkBaUkw/Tsuj-8F7isI/AAAAAAAACGc/SjHhmroyg-8/s512/vlcsnap-2011-11-22-18h52m46s34.jpg[/img] They halt at some huge but sparsely occupied hotel in "Timoka". The country also seems to be on the brink of war. The language spoken there is unknown to the sisters and the locals themselves hardly communicate and if they do, in some incomprehensible language. The rest of the film follows the three characters as they spend their time in this hotel, their interactions with the locals despite the unfamiliarity with the language at the same time, partially revealing some hidden truths about their desires, feelings, and some baffling ambiguities in their mutual relationships..... [img]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-cH73QnQWbm0/Tsuj-jULymI/AAAAAAAACGg/XCTWRaYFy6k/s512/vlcsnap-2011-11-22-18h44m50s140.jpg[/img] Ingmar Bergman does an astounding job of conveying a plethora of emotions through powerful images capable of creating a tremendous impact on the viewer. As mentioned earlier, the dialog is sparse, perhaps a couple of conversations between the sisters and Johan. What fills this canvas is the eerie and unsettling mood, the outstanding sound effects, including a particularly haunting "clock ticking" sound that appears periodically. Add to that Sven Nykvist's flawless cinematography, with the bleak images, the ghostly shadows and partially lit halls of a near empty hotel, sometimes giving it a feel of a horror film. And then there are the characters and their interactions. Their spoken words are very few, but their expressions speak volumes about the kind of feeling they harbor about one another. Ingrid Thulin's Ester very convincingly puts it across that she resents Anna going out and having a jolly time, including indulging in sexual encounters while she has to be confined to the indoors. But what is the real cause behind her resentment? Is she jealous of Anna's voluptuous good looks or is she attracted to them?! And what about Johan? What kind of feelings does he really have for his mother and aunt? [img]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-u9yxodVXPeI/Tsuj9rdwNvI/AAAAAAAACGM/-MAVr38tD10/s512/vlcsnap-2011-11-22-18h38m38s2.jpg[/img] A lot is said but still plenty is left unsaid. This is where the beauty of Bergman's narration lies. And he couldn't have handled it better. It is like partially opening the curtains of a window so you can just see part of the scenery that lies on the other side. The other half is left to imagination and interpretation. It is a frustrating as well as rewarding experience all at the same time. Ingrid Thulin and Gunnel Lindblom go all out with their bravura performances. Thulin is a clear winner here as she gives a nuanced performance of an ailing writer who seeks refuge in alcohol self-medication. Her subtle display of controlled rage of being at the receiving end of nothing but spite from her younger sister along with a couple other acts of alarming intensity, all amount to one of the finest female performances I've ever seen. Lindblom looks gorgeous with her bewitching good looks. But she isn't far behind with her acting either. Check out Anna's display of searing animosity for her more intelligent elder sister. Or await that hysterical outburst towards the end. It is a breathtaking performance worth a standing ovation. The boy Jorgen Lindstrom does a superb job too, as the innocent little tyke, neglected by his mother, who keeps wandering around the empty hotel. His scenes with the Spanish performing dwarfs and the kindly old porter at the hotel are especially noteworthy. [img]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1Ymt8zmOOcU/Tsuj89snzVI/AAAAAAAACGI/u2EQgouR15I/s512/vlcsnap-2011-11-22-18h37m07s111.jpg[/img] (The signature shot of 'overlapping faces', made more famous by Bergman's "Persona" later.) With the shocking imagery and some brief but daring scenes of lurid eroticism (for the time), this could very well be Bergman's boldest film. There was considerable controversy regarding the film's content in Sweden and other countries at the time, leading to some heavy censorship. "Tystnaden (The Silence)" is an intensely devastating and mesmerizing character study from the Swedish master and deserves to be ranked amongst his finest; the controversies surrounding the film notwithstanding. Score: 10/10.

• Robert C

  
  Last in the "Silent God" trilogy and certainly the most surreal. A very bleak and slightly claustrophobic look at two sisters traveling home after a holiday with a small boy who we eventually learn is the son / nephew of the two. Things come to a head when they stop… More
  Last in the "Silent God" trilogy and certainly the most surreal. A very bleak and slightly claustrophobic look at two sisters traveling home after a holiday with a small boy who we eventually learn is the son / nephew of the two. Things come to a head when they stop to stay in a hotel for a few days, to allow for the "elder" sister to recover from her "illness" before continuing on with their journey home. Luckily for us, the hotel the have chosen is filled with a very "Lynchian" group of characters. The sisters realtionship is strained to say the least and as the film progresses we learn the the elders alcoholism is the least of her issues, while the younger seems a bit of a nymphomaniac. All of which is complicated significantly by an underlying hint of incest. And the relationship of the boy between the two, both of whom (in a sense) act as a mother figure to him. As with all Bergman films, you will either be sucked in immediately to the world he has created and enjoy being a "fly on the wall" or you will find it rather slow, bleak and unintriguing. His films aren't for everyone, but I tend to really enjoy them.

• Cassandra M

  
  Do not be put off by some reactions to this movie. It is not easy to watch, as it is light on plot and deliberately obscure in places. But if you can go with the flow of the film, you will be rewarded with some top class acting, incisive argument and lots to think about afterwards. It… More
  Do not be put off by some reactions to this movie. It is not easy to watch, as it is light on plot and deliberately obscure in places. But if you can go with the flow of the film, you will be rewarded with some top class acting, incisive argument and lots to think about afterwards. It reminds me a little of a Pinter play - if you like those you should also like this film. The film also has one or two monumental pieces of cinematography - not least the scenes with the small boy in the large lobby of the hotel - far more effective in this film than in the "tribute use" by Kubrick in the Shining many years later. The shots of tanks rolling through the unnamed Southern European town will stick in my mind for a long time. Ingrid Thulin and Gunnel Lindblom were two of Bergman's best women and he works with them to terrific effect in this movie. This is one of the great movies - highly recommended.

• Ken S

  
  Bergman at his most Bergman-esqe. This Swedish art film set on the brink of WW3 examines the silence of god and lesbian incest. A heavy stylistic influence on Kubrick's the Shining, the images are both hypnotic, stunning and frightening at the same time. Gorgeously shot nudity… More
  Bergman at his most Bergman-esqe. This Swedish art film set on the brink of WW3 examines the silence of god and lesbian incest. A heavy stylistic influence on Kubrick's the Shining, the images are both hypnotic, stunning and frightening at the same time. Gorgeously shot nudity by Sven Nykvist to boot

• Eric B

  
  "The Silence" is a difficult film to watch -- particularly the first half, which is light on dialogue and heavy on incidental behavior which doesn't create much plot momentum. But stick with it -- the story eventually turns more gripping. The Flixster summary reveals… More
  "The Silence" is a difficult film to watch -- particularly the first half, which is light on dialogue and heavy on incidental behavior which doesn't create much plot momentum. But stick with it -- the story eventually turns more gripping. The Flixster summary reveals most of the story, except for mentioning Ester's unspoken incestuous attraction toward her curvy, sensual sister (who's glistening with feral sweat throughout much of the film). So, let me just add that Ingrid Thulin's performance as Ester is marvelous, and that Sven Nykvist's photography is typically exquisite. And don't forget the delightful vaudeville dwarfs! The soundtrack is also quite interesting - sparse but significant use of score, and various quirky sound effects (for instance, a recurrent ticking watch, which presumably underscores Ester's dwindling lifespan). There's also a brief masturbation scene -- surprising to see in 1963 -- and this unlikely confession: "Semen smells nasty to me. I've a very keen sense of smell, and I stank like a rotten fish when I was fertilized." Wow. Maybe the words lost something in the translation! I've seen others compare the scenes with the boy quietly wandering around the hotel to similar footage in "The Shining." This wouldn't have occurred to me but, hey, now that I think about it...sure, it's quite possible Stanley Kubrick was influenced by this imagery.

• Chris B

  
  A great closing piece to the Faith Trilogy, The Silence tells a sad and realistic story if two sisters and their differences both mentally and physically and the chaos that occurs while staying at a hotel for the older of the two to "recover". The film is as touching and… More
  A great closing piece to the Faith Trilogy, The Silence tells a sad and realistic story if two sisters and their differences both mentally and physically and the chaos that occurs while staying at a hotel for the older of the two to "recover". The film is as touching and emotional even though there is little compassion between the two sisters. Another hard to stomach film that is still worth your time if you find the patience for it. Highly Recommended, like the whole trilogy!

• Mike T

  
  I don't proclaim to be a cinephile. I know I'm incapable of appreciating this film on the same level as a lot of more well-educated filmgoers. That being said, I found it to be totally hypnotizing. Ingmar Bergman's direction lends the film a heavy, enigmatic atmosphere… More
  I don't proclaim to be a cinephile. I know I'm incapable of appreciating this film on the same level as a lot of more well-educated filmgoers. That being said, I found it to be totally hypnotizing. Ingmar Bergman's direction lends the film a heavy, enigmatic atmosphere that is fascinating to be a part of. The actors are brilliant, playing mostly without dialogue and with physical suggestion rather than performance cliches. This is a beautifully made piece of work.

• Dimitris S

  
  The heat exhausts even the brave.Spiritual breakdown however unleashes frigid consequences underneath the surface.Silence will come as a noisy inflammation.Thulin is groundbreaking and Lindblom revealing!!!

• Tom S

  
  Probably the best use of dwarves in cinema history.

• Anthony V

  
  Disturbing, dark and erotic. If you've only seen it once, you haven't really seen it. A film to ponder and study. My favorite in the trilogy, because although Winter Light and Through The Glass Darkly are still blacken, irreverent bullets to the soul, The Silence hit me… More
  Disturbing, dark and erotic. If you've only seen it once, you haven't really seen it. A film to ponder and study. My favorite in the trilogy, because although Winter Light and Through The Glass Darkly are still blacken, irreverent bullets to the soul, The Silence hit me at just the right moment in my life.

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