Direction
Bergman's unflinching close-ups strip souls bare.
Acting
Björnstrand's hands tremble with doubt you'll feel in your chest.
Cinematography
White emptiness that swallows meaning whole.
Director
Ingmar Bergman
Ingrid Thulin
Märta Lundberg
Gunnar Björnstrand
Tomas Ericsson
Gunnel Lindblom
Karin Persson
Max von Sydow
Jonas Persson
Allan Edwall
Algot Frövik
Kolbjörn Knudsen
Knut Aronsson
Olof Thunberg
Fredrik Blom
Elsa Ebbesen-Thornblad
Magdalena Ledfors
Tor Borong
Johan Åkerblom (uncredited)
Eddie Axberg
Johan Strand (uncredited)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Part of Bergman's 'Silence of God' trilogy, this was his least favorite of his own films despite its reputation.
Shot in just 17 days in a real church; the winter light itself was unreliable, forcing Bergman to rewrite scenes around available sun.
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