Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Persona

  • 1966
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 23m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
124K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,579
497
Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann in Persona (1966)
Theatrical Trailer
Play trailer5:01
1 Video
99+ Photos
DramaThriller

A nurse is put in charge of a mute actress and finds that their personae are melding together.A nurse is put in charge of a mute actress and finds that their personae are melding together.A nurse is put in charge of a mute actress and finds that their personae are melding together.

  • Director
    • Ingmar Bergman
  • Writer
    • Ingmar Bergman
  • Stars
    • Bibi Andersson
    • Liv Ullmann
    • Margaretha Krook
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    8.1/10
    124K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,579
    497
    • Director
      • Ingmar Bergman
    • Writer
      • Ingmar Bergman
    • Stars
      • Bibi Andersson
      • Liv Ullmann
      • Margaretha Krook
    • 283User reviews
    • 151Critic reviews
    • 86Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #244
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 11 wins & 5 nominations total

    Videos1

    Persona
    Trailer 5:01
    Watch Persona

    Photos180

    Liv Ullmann in Persona (1966)
    Liv Ullmann in Persona (1966)
    Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann in Persona (1966)
    Liv Ullmann in Persona (1966)
    Bibi Andersson in Persona (1966)
    Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann in Persona (1966)
    Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann in Persona (1966)
    Bibi Andersson in Persona (1966)
    Bibi Andersson in Persona (1966)
    "Persona" Bibi Anderson, Gunnar Bjormstrand, Liv Ulman 1966 United Artists
    Liv Ullmann in Persona (1966)
    Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann in Persona (1966)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Bibi Andersson
    Bibi Andersson
    • Alma
    Liv Ullmann
    Liv Ullmann
    • Elisabet Vogler
    Margaretha Krook
    Margaretha Krook
    • The Doctor
    Gunnar Björnstrand
    Gunnar Björnstrand
    • Mr. Vogler
    Jörgen Lindström
    Jörgen Lindström
    • Elisabet's Son
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Ingmar Bergman
    • Writer
      • Ingmar Bergman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Wild Strawberries
    8.1
    Wild Strawberries
    The Seventh Seal
    8.1
    The Seventh Seal
    The 400 Blows
    8.1
    The 400 Blows
    Autumn Sonata
    8.1
    Autumn Sonata
    Cries & Whispers
    8.0
    Cries & Whispers
    Stalker
    8.1
    Stalker
    Fanny and Alexander
    8.1
    Fanny and Alexander
    8½
    8.0
    8½
    Persona
    7.2
    Persona
    Mirror
    8.0
    Mirror
    La haine
    8.1
    La haine
    Barry Lyndon
    8.1
    Barry Lyndon

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to himself, Ingmar Bergman fell in love with Liv Ullmann during the making of the movie.
    • Goofs
      The part where Alma reads a passage from her book to Elisabeth at the beach was translated clumsily to English version where the passage loses most of its meaning.
    • Quotes

      The Doctor: I understand, all right. The hopeless dream of being - not seeming, but being. At every waking moment, alert. The gulf between what you are with others and what you are alone. The vertigo and the constant hunger to be exposed, to be seen through, perhaps even wiped out. Every inflection and every gesture a lie, every smile a grimace. Suicide? No, too vulgar. But you can refuse to move, refuse to talk, so that you don't have to lie. You can shut yourself in. Then you needn't play any parts or make wrong gestures. Or so you thought. But reality is diabolical. Your hiding place isn't watertight. Life trickles in from the outside, and you're forced to react. No one asks if it is true or false, if you're genuine or just a sham. Such things matter only in the theatre, and hardly there either. I understand why you don't speak, why you don't move, why you've created a part for yourself out of apathy. I understand. I admire. You should go on with this part until it is played out, until it loses interest for you. Then you can leave it, just as you've left your other parts one by one.

    • Alternate versions
      The American version, released by United Artists, omits a brief close-up shot of an erect penis from the film's pre-credit collage.
    • Connections
      Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Fatale beauté (1994)
    • Soundtracks
      Adagio from Concerto No. 2 in E major for Violin, Strings and Continuo, BWV 1042
      Written by Johann Sebastian Bach

    User reviews283

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Intriguing, Abstract & Unique
    There are few directors whose films have sparked as much rumination and analysis as Ingmar Bergman. His cinematic creations, utterly unique in style and tone, have been and shall continue to be debated and critiqued for decades. Many consider him the master of minimalism, whose work subtly exposes the truth of the human condition, while others hail his films as unnecessarily abstruse and pretentious. Whatever one's feelings on Bergman, it must be said that his films are certainly intriguing; and perhaps none more so than 'Persona.'

    'Persona' follows Alma, a nurse, who is put in charge of Elisabet, an actress who has been inexplicably rendered mute. It is determined that Elisabet may better recover in an environment other than the hospital, and she and Alma travel to a cottage on a remote island for respite. While there, a strange metamorphosis occurs, and the identities of Alma and Elisabet become blurred in relation to one another; as repressed memories are brought to light and motivations questioned.

    'Persona' tells this story in a manner most abstract, relying heavily on Sven Nykvist's powerful cinematography and the expressionistic talents of Liv Ullmann and Bibi Andersson to forward the narrative as much as Bergman's screenplay and dialogue. It is a strange, sinister film seeped in a mysterious aura of despondency that challenges and offers the viewer no quarter. Through its' examinations of jealously, sex and identity, the film holds a mirror up to the human condition; the reflection of which is most affecting and raises many questions.

    Just what is the film about? Is it some kind of Scandinavian Jekyll and Hyde story about doubling and the duality of man? Does it fit in with Jung's notion of persona, or could it be a psychological interrogation of female sexuality? Is it a critique of theatre and the notion of performance in itself? The film is open to interpretation, and many readings can be given as to its' meaning. Whether or not this appeals to the viewer is entirely subjective; though those who enjoy stories of abstraction will certainly find it an interesting, unique experience.

    As mentioned above, much of the film's impact is due to Sven Nykvist's cinematography, which is spellbinding. The film begins with a bizarre montage of distorted images, ever-increasing in strangeness and emotional intensity from there. Under Bergman's direction, Nykvist captures what Herzog refers to as the drama of the landscape masterfully, as well as making excellent use of the close-up; adding immeasurable power to scenes. Nykvist's collaboration with Bergman was one of the most fruitful in cinematic history; as the striking images in 'Persona' prove yet again.

    'Persona' stars Liv Ullmann and Bibi Andersson, both delivering fascinatingly impassioned performances as Elisabet and Alma, respectively. Ullmann does the bulk of her acting silently, utilizing her impressive expressionistic talents to convey the emotion and feelings of her character, which she does in a manner most efficacious and affecting. Andersson displays remarkable versatility, intensity and emotional perspicuity, creating in Alma a remarkably multi-faceted character that one does not easily forget. The two of them work together wonderfully, showcasing a chemistry both electric and genuine.

    Having said all that, it's easy to see why many viewers feel the film isn't worthy of its' reputation as a motion picture magnum opus. It is an intentionally difficult film, one which forces the viewer to think and doesn't offer much entertainment value in the traditional sense. The story and its themes are Delphic and the characters are hard to warm to, and- though undeniably powerful- the irregularity of the cinematography can be occasionally confounding. It is not unjust to say that some may feel the film underwhelming and incomprehensible; though many more may find its obscurities intoxicating.

    Ingmar Bergman's 'Persona' is a captivating film, one which continues to perplex and puzzle. Strongly acted and beautifully shot by Sven Nykvist, the film is somewhat recherché, and its meaning and value will likely be hotly contested by film buffs for years to come. Intriguing, abstract and unique, it is not exactly a movie one will say they enjoyed; it is too calculated and cold a film for that. Rather, it is a film one experiences; and 'Persona' makes for a very memorable experience.
    helpful•20
    2
    • reelreviewsandrecommendations
    • Nov 20, 2022

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 16, 1967 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Sweden
    • Languages
      • Swedish
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Персона
    • Filming locations
      • Fårö, Gotlands län, Sweden
    • Production company
      • AB Svensk Filmindustri
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross worldwide
      • $90,556
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 23 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • AGA Sound System
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann in Persona (1966)
    Top Gap
    What is the Hindi language plot outline for Persona (1966)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.