Cries and Whispers reviewed and analyzed in under 5 minutes

Cries and Whispers is a 1972 film by director Ingmar Bergman about how we are all existentially alone in our feelings, the need we all have for an emotional outlet, and the need we all have for human comfort. The film takes place in a mansion in the late 19th century and focuses on 3 sisters, 1 of whom is dying of cancer. The film stars Liv Ullmann, Harriet Andersson, Ingrid Thulin, Erland Josephson, and Kari Sylwan.

In the film, sisters Karin and Maria (played by Ingrid Thulin and Liv Ullmann) are contrasted against Agnes and Anna (played by Harriet Andersson and Kari Sylwan). As children, Karin and Maria are favored by their mother and never experience any real suffering or loneliness that would have enabled them to develop empathy. Their coldness towards each other, their sister, Anna, and their husbands are consistent throughout the film. Anna and Agnes, on the other hand, have suffered in ways that make them sensitive to others’ suffering. This is why Agnes relates better than her sisters to their mother even though her mother neglects her. Agnes' suffering in isolation and loneliness helps her understand her mother’s isolation and loneliness. Anna suffers quietly as a maidservant among employers who look down on her. This and the death of her ill daughter makes her able to comfort and relate to Agnes’ pain.

Although Agnes appears to be the most isolated character in the film she isn’t because the maid, Anna, is always there when she cries out. It is Agnes’ mother and Agnes’s sisters Maria and Karin who are most isolated and incapable of expressing their feelings. Agnes’ cries are answered by Anna. By contrast, Karin has no way to express her feelings; Maria is too selfish and Frederik, her husband, is too insensitive. Therefore, Karin expresses her pain through self-mutilation. Like Karin, Joakim (Henning Moritzen), also has no one to share the pain caused by his cheating wife and therefore attempts suicide. Likewise, the sisters’ mother has no one to share her loneliness with except Agnes whom she neglected. But it is because of this isolation and neglect that Agnes is able to relate to her mother. And like Agnes, the servant Anna, who lost her daughter to an illness, knows also what it is like to feel lonely and isolated which is why she can relate to Agnes. 

This is one of my favorite Bergman films because it has everything you like about all of his films in only 90 minutes: symbolism; great acting; great cinematography; period costumes. This film and all his films prove that you can make an intelligent film that’s equally entertaining. Like my other favorite director Stanley Kubrick, Bergman’s films leaves you thinking about things you weren’t thinking about going in. Cries and Whispers received 5 Academy Award nominations and wound up winning Best Cinematography for Sven Nykvist.  Although the film made only $1,500,000.00 it was considered at the time a commercial success being that it was made for only $400,000.00. I have it on DVD and Criterion did an excellent job as usual. If you like Bergman’s other films, you should add this to the collection.