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18 reviews in total

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16 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
A Unique Performance by Ingrid Bergman, 1 April 2002

Author: Hal Westcott from Washington State, USA

Too often, there are many films that are hidden away from the public even though they are really very well written and well acted movies. "The Visit" is one of these movies, unfortunately, not available on video or DVD. The story is of a poor young girl who leaves a mythical country in Europe (Bergman) only to return years later as the richest woman in the world! The way the movie opens is with a train going across the landscape which adds to the suspense because of the title of the film and the town in this mythical country is very anxious and glad that Karla is coming to visit them since they are poverty stricken. A rare gem, the story is solid and interesting--not like the critics said about it being choppy and hard to follow--and Ms. Bergman's costumes are an eyeful. Anthony Quinn is her leading man and together they both deliver more than fine performances, Ms. Bergman's being the strongest. If you ever see this film, you won't regret it. Put a tape in your VCR to record yourself a copy as "The Visit" is a haunting film with moral issues that are unusual for the time in which it is filmed. This is one you will want to see definitely more than once. You've never seen Ingrid Bergman like this!

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10 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Category: Best Old Movie I'd Never Seen Before, 9 July 2005

Author: KurtHPickering from United States

My recent acquisitions of Casablanca and Tivo have me watching a lot of old Ingrid Bergman movies, not to mention Bogie, and I just ran across one that should've been a classic yet I'd never heard of. It did get a minor Oscar nomination, but I thought both the story and Ingrid were superb.

The Visit came out in 1964, late for a black and white film and perhaps that helped limit its success. I can see why that might've been done for artistic rather than economic reasons, though. It is a character study of two main characters (Ingrid's and an old flame played by Anthony Quinn, who also co-produced) and many lesser ones, and all of their lights and darks are perhaps magnified by watching in black and white.

And it has my favorite of all plot devices, which it uses very well. I'd tell you what, but that might ruin it.

I do recommend this one - and if you have Fox Movie Channel, it's on again next week (today being 7/9/05). Twice.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Overall - an excellent movie, 31 March 2005

Author: diabolene from United States

Well, I haven't seen the play, but I enjoyed all the performances and plot of this disturbingly gripping and compelling film. Ingrid Bergman is riveting and enigmatic - does a great job with portraying a deeply hurt woman underneath a cold, stoney, vengeful exterior. My palms began to sweat and I felt like I was suffocating during the scene where Anthony Quinn's character tries to leave the town on the train...an excellent mob scene that develops slowly and builds, allowing you to feel Quinn's terror, helplessness and entrapment. Bergman is clearly the most stellar of the cast; her acting is bionic femme fatale and she looks phenomenal in her multi-millionaress outfits. Yes, there are some weaker spots, but I think if one over analyzes any movie one is able to find something worthy of criticism. Just sit back and enjoy "The Visit".

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4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
I can watch this one over and over again., 14 July 2004
Author: Clifton Hyman (ce1hyman@yahoo.com) from Durham, NC

I saw this movie years ago and was slowly fascinated by the allure of the plot. I remember thinking when viewing it for the first ten or fifteen minutes that it would be a boring movie. Far from it for as I kept watching I found it to be very entertaining and as one of the most revealing stories about the character of people under stress that I have ever seen. Anthony Quinn was absolutely believable as Serge Miller and the supporting cast was outstanding. I have been looking for a video or DVD version of the movie, since it is aired so infrequently. For me there are two kinds of movies I enjoy, those that I watch once and those I can watch over and over again. This one fits the latter category.

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4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
truly evil woman returns to seek revenge, 2 July 2003
Author: repetez6271

I wouldn't want to cross that woman in a dark alley!! Loved it. Of course when Quinn's own wife appears in a new dress that she cant pay for until he is killed could be the best moment of the movie. Of course ..the entire movie is over-the-top...but thats what makes it hysterically fun to watch.

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6 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
Tepid film sparked by Bergman's superb performance., 3 April 2001

Author: Arne Andersen (aandersen@landmarkcollege.org) from Putney, VT

THE VISIT is a disappointment - the play adaptation promises great drama and character development, but the filmmakers were not up to the task. The results are rather bland and tepid. Ingrid Bergman outshines the lot of them by giving a performance of style, passion and controlled rage. She deserved an Oscar nom for her work here but was shut out, probably due to the film's poor showing at the box office. All around her are woefully inept, including Anthony Quinn. Her parade of stylish (though not exceptional) costumes earned the film an Oscar nom for Costume Design - undeserved. This is a rarity, not on video and very hard to track down - TCM shows it once in a coon's age. Its only value is in the marvelous Bergman performance - for this alone it should be made available on home video.

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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
True Love???, 20 July 2008

Author: Stormy_Autumn from the Pacific Northwest

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"The Visit" (1964) the main characters were teen lovers Karla Zachanassian (Ingrid Bergman) & Serge Miller (Anthony Quinn). It's set in a foreign city made up of mean-spirited citizens. 17 year old Karla is taken advantage off by Serge & ends up pregnant. Her parents are deceased & there is no one for her to turn to. Serge will not take responsibility for his actions & bribes others to lie about her. Since Karla was well-hated the people chased her out of town & into prostitution. Her baby was taken from her & dies young.

As the film moves on we begin to observe the cruelty that Karla & the citizens carry to gain the goodies she offers & 2,000,000 in cash to help the town & hasten Serge's death. At first the town's leaders fight the idea. Later all they can see is the cash...the prosperity to hold in their hands. This movie will truly open your eyes on the Bible saying where your riches are there will your heart be also...SO, who wins here? You've got to catch it on TCM when you can. IMHO giving it 9 stars out of 10 is perfect.

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3 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Not perfect, but wow is this movie creative and hard-hitting, 10 January 2008

Author: planktonrules from Bradenton, Florida

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

After twenty years, an old resident (Ingrid Bergman) of a small European town is returning. However, in the meantime, she married one of the richest men in the world and after his death, she is immensely wealthy. The town, in effect, is sucking up to her in the hopes that she'll give them money--especially since their economy is in ruins.

However, when she returns, she has a very strange proposal--she will give the town $1,000,000 and another $1,000,000 to be divided up among the people if they kill a man! Twenty years ago, Anthony Quinn, had gotten her pregnant and then denied paternity--even going so far as bribing some friends to lie and say she was a whore. As a result, she was driven out of town and into a life of prostitution. In effect, the entire town and Quinn had conspired to ruin her life.

What makes this film so fascinating is its look at human nature. Slowly watching Quinn's "good friends" turn on him was fascinating. However, the most fascinating part occurred when Bergman had truckloads of products shipped into town and extended credit to everyone in order to push them towards a city-sanctioned murder. The most delicious scene was seeing Quinn's own wife lining up to buy this merchandise!! The film really excels at social commentary, as it pulls few punches. People in this film are almost universally scum. In addition, Bergman puts on one of her best performances--at times looking like a spider as she watches Quinn suffer.

The only negatives were that towards the end, there was a very brief scene between Quinn and Bergman by the lake that just didn't ring true, plus the film seemed to go on a bit too long--lessening its overall impact. But, if you ignore these things (and I certainly could), this is an amazing and cold view of the worst aspects of human nature. A delicious drama that is creative and very hard-hitting.

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4 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
a stunning and gripping tale, 8 December 2005

Author: joyceck from United States, CA

I really don't want to write a full technical review of the Movie. Suffice it to say it was a stunning and gripping tale.

It is a real shame this is not available commercially. Anyone with more information about who owns the rights to this film or it's current where abouts please let us know via additional posts I guess. It's a must see....

Bergman is compelling in her seamless performance. The film has an absurdist/existential feel to it almost like an extended high comedy with a taste of twilight zone. It has kind gestalt impact like Blue Angel and Children of Paradise.

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Wow!, 25 June 2011

Author: Holdjerhorses from USA

I'm ashamed I've never seen this film till now. I've always known "of" it, as I've always known "of" the play, and "of" Friedrich Dürrenmatt's controversial take on "epic theater." So its allegorical aspects don't put me off at all. It's amazing to see how realistically and cinematically this play is filmed and acted.

Co-Produced by Anthony Quinn and Ingrid Bergman, who co-star, this entire enterprise is a work of love and art: not commercial entertainment.

And what a payoff! The suspense, the emotional builds, are incredible. Yes, you can see the act breaks that were in the play. No matter. The film surges along seamlessly to the unexpected and shattering climax.

And the acting, from the entire cast, but especially Quinn and Bergman, is something to behold.

The conclusion cuts like a knife.

Watch it again and again for the layers in Bergman's performance. The transitions in her close-ups alone are astonishing.

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