"The Silence" *** (out of ****)"The Silence" marked the conclusion of what was known as the "faith" or "religion" trilogy by famed Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. The trilogy started with the masterpiece "Through A Glass, Darkly" followed by "Winter Light". The last two films in the trilogy were never quite as good to me but had their moments.
Bergman, as most readers and/or fans of his work should know, was not a very religious man. His father was and would beat "God" into him. He would lock him in a closet so the young Bergman would learn about God's existence.
However Bergman doesn't always seem to have a negative view of religion. I gather from his films he senses there is a place for it in our world. None of his films condemn religious people, in my opinion. Even in his most famous film, "The Seventh Seal" where a man plays chess with Death, searching for meaning in his life, Bergman ends the film on a surprising happy note.
The "faith trilogy" however and "The Silence" in particular, is a bit more harsh. Many people interpret the title referring to God's silence. Perhaps. But I felt Bergman was going a bit beyond religion. I thought "the silence" was more a social commentary on our inability to communicate. It didn't feel like a spiritual or existential critique to me.
The film has two sisters, Anna (Gunnel Lindblom) and Ester (Ingrid Thulin) traveling with Johan (Jorgen Lindstrom), Anna's son. It is never mentioned where they are coming from, but they are on their way home when they stop in small town as Ester has fallen terribly ill. The viewer is lead to believe Ester is dying. Of what is never mentioned. The three spend a couple of days in the hotel as Ester remains in her bed and Johan roams around the large hotel.
The relationship between Anna and Ester is not a good one. We can sense their distance. They rarely speak and when they do there seems to be an intensity behind their words. Their words are said with venom.
Ester is a translator. She speaks Swedish, English, French and German. But in the small town none of those languages are spoken. Here is where the difference in communication comes in. Ester is not able to communicate with one of the room service employees, (Hakan Jahnberg). They do their own version of sign language. Johan meets a group of dwarfs, who also speak another language unfamiliar to the boy. And Anna picks up one of the townspeople, whom she can't understand either. The problem is not God's silence but man's silence. We live in a society which doesn't communicate with one another.
Beneath all of this is a strong sense of sexuality. There seems to be a sense of incest between the sisters. Ester gets jealous when she sees Anna going out, knowing what she is up to. At one point Anna even makes sure Ester sees her with the man. There also seems to be a sexual relationship between the mother and son. He peeks through cracked doors spying on his mother as she undresses. He even washes her back while she takes a bath. And the hotel employee sometimes acts like a dirty old man going after Johan. In another scene with the dwarfs, they dress Johan up like a girl. But the most graphic of all scenes may be Ester masturbating. We see Ester unbutton her blouse and place her hand down her pants. The camera moves up on Ester's face while she reaches climax.
All of this caused quite a stir in Swedish when the film was first released. It was seen as too sexual but did lead to a more relax attitude towards sexuality in Swedish films. We are still waiting for that to happen in this country.
This in a certain way leads me to somewhat dislike the film. I find it too sexual for Bergman. The only other film I can think of where Bergman seems to be using sex in such a frank way is "From the Life of the Marionnettes", his sequel to "Scenes From A Marriage". Bergman isn't at the top of his game when he brings sexuality into the picture. I don't think that is his strength as a writer. He works better when dealing with the bigger questions. Is there a God? What is man's purpose on Earth? When he discusses sex I feel he doesn't know where to go with it. He doesn't know how to treat the subject in the same realistic and poetic way he treats other issues dealing with the human condition.
The film was shot by Bergman's long time collaborator, Sven Nykvist. Nykvist is able to convey the idea of being suffocated throughout the film. During the opening scenes the sisters complain about how stuffy the weather is. We sense they are hot and sweaty. Nykvist keeps close-ups on the characters. He traps them in spaces. Many times shooting a frame within a frame. He is unrelenting in his close-ups.
Of the two performances I find Lindblom the more sexual and the more interesting to watch. She appeared in Bergman's "Winter Light" and "The Virgin Spring". She is a very good actress and was able to get across what I think Bergman intended. Thulin has a more tricky character to play. I feel more is demanded of her. She must go through more emotions. Thulin is also a Bergman regular. She appeared in "The Rite", "Hour of the Wolf" and "After the Rehearsal".
Bergman is known for making films about women. Think of his "Persona" and "Cries and Whispers", also about sisters. In those films Bergman seemed to be hitting at something deeper. The viewer was haunted and touched by what they saw. In "The Silence" I didn't have that same strong reaction. I think I understand what Bergman is trying to do but I don't feel he conveys his message in the most powerful of ways. There seems to be so much hidden beneath these characters which Bergman doesn't explore. Too many questions are left unanswered. That may very well have been Bergman's intention but it frustrates me. How did the relationship between these two get so bad? Are they lovers?
Because it is an Ingmar Bergman film there is a certain level of intelligence to it. Bergman doesn't look down upon his audience. The film also has a strong consistent tone and pace to it. And the cinematography by Nykvist is first-rate. Bergman is clearly challenging his audience. He is willing to take chances. You have to give the old master credit for that. But I just feel as if the movie doesn't reach the depths of these characters' souls. The viewer doesn't understand them. Though Bergman has some tricks up his sleeves.
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