The Passion of Anna (1969)
"En passion" (original title)

Andreas, a man struggling with the recent demise of his marriage and his own emotional isolation, befriends a married couple also in the midst of psychological turmoil. In turn he meets ... See full summary »

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writer:

Ingmar Bergman

Stars:

Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Bibi Andersson

8 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Max von Sydow	...	Andreas Winkelman
Liv Ullmann	...	Anna Fromm
Bibi Andersson	...	Eva Vergerus
Erland Josephson	...	Elis Vergerus
Erik Hell	...	Johan Andersson
Sigge Fürst	...	Verner
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Britta Brunius	...	Woman in dream
Lars-Owe Carlberg	...	Police officer
Malin Ek	...	Woman in dream
Barbro Hiort af Ornäs	...	Woman in dream
Svea Holst	...	Verner's wife
Marianne Karlbeck	...	Woman in dream
Annicka Kronberg	...	Katarina
Brian Wikström	...	Police officer
Brita Öberg	...	Woman in dream

Storyline

Andreas, a man struggling with the recent demise of his marriage and his own emotional isolation, befriends a married couple also in the midst of psychological turmoil. In turn he meets Anna, who is grieving the recent deaths of her husband and son. She appears zealous in her faith and steadfast in her search for truth, but gradually her delusions surface. Andreas and Anna pursue a love affair, but he is unable to overcome his feelings of deep humiliation and remains disconnected. Meanwhile, the island community is victimized by an unknown person committing acts of animal cruelty.

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Plot Keywords:

humiliation | isolation | couples | animal cruelty | reference to the vietnam war | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Release Date:

28 May 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Passion of Anna

Filming Locations:

Fårö, Gotlands län, Sweden

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinematograph AB, Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) Black and White (dream sequence)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dinner scene between the four characters is mostly improvised

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Quotes

Andreas Winkelman: He tries to wipe out his means of expression so that, without his being aware of it, that hiding place has become a prison.

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Connections

References Shame (1968)

User Reviews

"Sealed people in open landscapes..."

Since the day Andreas Winkelman's wife left him he has devoted himself to his own suffering and gradually lost contact with his own identity. Brief conversations with the neighbor he happens to run into now and then is his only communication with the outside world, but one hot afternoon, without prior notice, he is visited by a woman who needs to make a call.

The fear of being a failure, of being humiliated, of breaking free from one's self chosen isolation, of experiencing tragedy and of being a genuine human being, are only some of the obstacles that Bergman's main character Andreas Winkelman tries to overcome in this grave investigation of human beings psychical and disturbing states after having gone through break-ups. His central theme is the irrational nature of human beings, and in his existentialistic reflection of the reasons why human beings act the way they do, he creates dark and unattainable images of the souls of the four central characters which are interpreted with distinctive credibility by Max Von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Bibi Andersson and Erland Josephson.

"The Passion of Anna", Ingmar Bergman's 32nd feature film, was shot on Faroe Island during 45 days in the spring of 1968 and occurs on a desert Island where isolated and sealed people contrasts the open landscapes which surrounds them. Bergman is here as in most of his films more interested in revealing the closed rooms within his characters inner landscapes than allowing them to shine in the free and accessible landscapes which are right in front of their eyes. Human beings are complex creatures in Ingmar Bergman's universe, but they are also ascribed a naturalness which makes them relatable. The shots are long, the close-ups are frequent, the mentality is melancholic and this rigorous chamber drama proceeds in line with the films eerie atmosphere.

Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007) was awarded as Best Director at the National Society of Film Critics Awards in 1971 for this in-depth character drama where the directing, the narrative and Sven Nykvist's scenic cinematography is close to perfection.