The Serpent's Egg (1977)

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writer:

Ingmar Bergman

Release Date:

15 February 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Berlin 1923! A dangerous time to be alive and stay that way!

Plot:

Ingmar Bergman's The Serpent's Egg follows a week in the life of Abel Rosenberg, an out-of-work American...

Plot Keywords:

Clinic | Suicide | Germany | Cabaret | Alcoholic

Cast

David Carradine	...	Abel Rosenberg
Liv Ullmann	...	Manuela Rosenberg
Heinz Bennent	...	Hans Vergerus
Gert Fröbe	...	Inspector Bauer
Edith Heerdegen	...	Mrs. Holle
Hans Quest	...	Dr. Silbermann
Fritz Strassner	...	Dr. Soltermann
Georg Hartmann	...	Hollinger
Kyra Mladeck	...	Miss Dorst
Wolfgang Weiser	...	Civil servant
Paula Braend	...	Mrs. Hemse
Walter Schmidinger	...	Solomon
Lisi Mangold	...	Mikaela
Grischa Huber	...	Stella
Paul Bürks	...	Cabaret comedian
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Isolde Barth	...	Girl in uniform
Toni Berger	...	Mr. Rosenberg
Christian Berkel	...	Student
Richard Bohne	...	Police officer
Erna Brünell	...	Mrs. Rosenberg
Paul Burian	...	Experiment person
Hildegard Busse	...	Prostitute
Gaby Dohm	...	Woman with baby
Hans Eichler	...	Max
Emil Feist	...	Miser
Kai Fischer	...	Prostitute
Herbert Fux
Renate Grosser	...	Prostitute
Heino Hallhuber	...	Groom
Rosemarie Heinikel	...	Girl in uniform
Klaus Hoffmann	...	Commando announcer
Harry Kalenberg	...	Coroner
Volkert Kraeft	...	Leader of the commanco
Andrea L'Arronge	...	Girl in uniform
Gunther Malzacher	...	Husband
Beverly McNeely	...	Girl in uniform
Günter Meisner	...	Convict
Anne Mertin
Hubert Mittendorf	...	Comforter
Heide Picha	...	Wife
Charles Regnier	...	Doctor
Irene Steinbeisser	...	Bride
Glynn Turman	...	Monroe
Ellen Umlauf	...	Hostess
Hertha von Walther	...	Woman in street
James Whitmore	...	The Priest
Ralf Wolter	...	Partner of the master of ceremonies

Directed by
Ingmar Bergman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ingmar Bergman

Produced by
Dino De Laurentiis	....	producer
Harold Nebenzal	....	line producer
Horst Wendlandt	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Rolf A. Wilhelm

Cinematography by
Sven Nykvist

Film Editing by
Jutta Hering

Production Design by
Rolf Zehetbauer

Art Direction by
Werner Achmann
Herbert Strabel
Friedrich Thaler

Costume Design by
Charlotte Flemming

Makeup Department
Mathilde Basedow	....	makeup artist
Gerda Bublitz	....	makeup artist
Evelyn Döhring	....	makeup artist
Ariane Dömel	....	makeup artist
Dagmar Friedrich-Vacan	....	makeup artist (as Dagmar Friedrich)
Franz Göbel	....	makeup artist
Ute Hanow	....	makeup artist
Marie-Luise Hantsch	....	makeup artist
Babette Juli	....	makeup artist
Helga Kempke	....	makeup artist
Susi Krause	....	makeup artist
Mathilde Kulhanek	....	makeup artist
Erika König	....	makeup artist
Albin Löw	....	makeup artist
Theodor Maier	....	makeup artist
Hedy Polensky	....	makeup artist
Naksiye Prenovic	....	makeup artist
Georg Rasche	....	makeup artist
Ursula Schaffert	....	makeup artist
Raimund Stangl	....	makeup artist
Alois Steckermeier	....	makeup artist
Eva Uhl	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Franz Achter	....	unit manager
Georg Föcking	....	unit manager
Horst Scheerbarth	....	unit manager
Harry Wilbert	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wieland Liebske	....	assistant director

Art Department
Barbara Freude	....	props (as Barbara Freude-Schnase)
Harry Freude	....	props

Sound Department
Theo Müller	....	boom operator
Armin Münch	....	boom operator
Karsten Ullrich	....	sound

Special Effects by
Karl Baumgartner	....	special effects
Dieter Ortmeier	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Günther Adlmüller	....	assistant camera
Hermann Fahr	....	assistant camera
Norbert Friedländer	....	assistant camera
Gerhard Fromm	....	assistant camera
Bernd Heinl	....	assistant camera
Gernot Köhler	....	assistant camera
Dietrich Lohmann	....	second camera
Lars Looschen	....	still photographer
Werner Lüring	....	assistant camera
Peter Rohe	....	second camera
Alexander Witt	....	assistant camera

Editorial Department
Petra von Oelffen	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Chloe Amateau	....	dialogue coach
Kerstin Eriksdotter	....	script supervisor
Heino Hallhuber	....	choreographer
Werner Uschkurat	....	(dialogue manager (german version))

Production Companies

• Bavaria Film
• De Laurentiis
• Rialto Film
• Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)

Distributors

• Adams Filmi (1978) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Tobis (1977) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Pictures (1978) (USA) (dubbed)
• Roadshow Home Video
• Tec Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

Argentina:120 min | USA:119 min

Country:

West Germany | USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:16 (original rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | West Germany:18 (f) | Australia:M | Argentina:18 | Finland:K-18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Norway:18 | UK:18 (video rating) (1990) | UK:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Bavaria Filmstudios, Geiselgasteig, Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Bavaria Film

Trivia:

Director Trademark: [Ingmar Bergman] [name]Last name Vergerus.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The Nazi-looking thugs that are beating up people are wearing Model 1943 German army caps and 1940s style clothing. This film is supposed to take place in the 1920s.

Quotes:

Abel Rosenberg:I wake up from a nightmare and find that real life is worse than the dream.

Movie Connections:

Featured in German Expressionism (2004) (V)

The Vision of a Master for the Seed of the Nazism

In November of 1923, in a Berlin where a pack of cigarettes costs four million marks and people has lost faith in the present and future days, the alcoholic and unemployed American acrobat Abel Rosenberg (David Carradine) loses his brother Max, who has just committed suicide after feeling depressed for a period. Seeing the modifications in the behavior of people, but without clearly understanding the reasons, Abel moves to the room of his former sister-in-law Manuela Rosenberg (Liv Ullmann), who works in a cabaret in the night and in a whorehouse in the morning. Together, they move to a small apartment near to the clinic of their acquaintance, Professor Hans Vergerus (Heinz Bennent), who gives a job opportunity to Abel in his clinic. While working in the place, Abel discloses the evil truth behind the researches of Hans.

"The Serpent's Egg" is an underrated, but also excellent work of Master Ingmar Bergman, one of my favorite directors. In the environment of a Germany with hyperinflation, where people in a moment exchanged marks in weight so fast the currency lost its value; lack of job opportunities, with massive unemployment; the great people and nation humiliated and hopeless, paying for the loss of World War I, Bergman presents his view for the seeds of the Nazism. He introduces the evil character of Professor Hans Vergerus and his sick experiments, and the common person Abel Rosenberg, who sees the modifications in a country where he has problems with communication, since he does not speak German, but can not understand. Unfortunately this movie has not been released on DVD in Brazil, and my VHS has a bad quality of image, impairing the magnificent cinematography, especially in the nocturnal shots. The cool David Carradine is in the best moment of his career and is amazing in the role of Abel Rosenberg. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "O Ovo da Serpente" ("The Serpent's Egg")