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Persona (1966)

Not Rated | | Drama, Thriller | 16 March 1967 (USA)
Persona Poster
A nurse is put in charge of a mute actress and finds that their personae are melding together.

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writer:

Ingmar Bergman (story and screenplay)

Stars:

Bibi Andersson, Liv Ullmann, Margaretha Krook | See full cast & crew »
Reviews
Popularity
3,538 ( 46)

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From $2.99 (SD) on Prime Video

ON DISC
Top Rated Movies #197 | Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 6 wins & 3 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bibi Andersson ... Alma
Liv Ullmann ... Elisabet Vogler
Margaretha Krook ... The Doctor
Gunnar Björnstrand ... Mr. Vogler
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

A young nurse, Alma, is put in charge of Elisabeth Vogler: an actress who is seemingly healthy in all respects, but will not talk. As they spend time together, Alma speaks to Elisabeth constantly, never receiving any answer. Alma eventually confesses her secrets to a seemingly sympathetic Elisabeth and finds that her own personality is being submerged into Elisabeth's persona. Written by Kathy Li

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

silence | sex on beach | sex talk | torn photograph | mute character | See All (81) »

Taglines:

One of the ten greatest films of all time See more »

Genres:

Drama | Thriller

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish | English

Release Date:

16 March 1967 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Persona See more »

Filming Locations:

Fårö, Gotlands län, Sweden See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

American International Pictures (AIP), Aurora, Svensk Filmindustri (SF) See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

AGA Sound System

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider. See more »

Quotes

Sister Alma: Anaesthetise me... throw me away! No, I can't, I can't take any more! Leave me alone! It's shame, it's all shame! Leave me alone! I'm cold and rotten and indifferent! It's all just lies and imitation, all of it!
See more »

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. See more »

Connections

Referenced in NewsRadio: Zoso (1996) See more »

Soundtracks

Adagio from Concerto No. 2 in E major for Violin, Strings and Continuo, BWV 1042
Written by Johann Sebastian Bach
See more »

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User Reviews

 
"Persona" is "non grata"
21 February 2007 | by drwls – See all my reviews

I am a lover of Bergmann films, most of which I'd seen more than 20 years ago. This one got by me somehow, but because of all the glowing reviews I've read here and elsewhere, I decided to rent the DVD. It was a complete waste of time: pretentious, dull and hollow. The only part remotely interesting was when the nurse describes an erotic beach encounter with some voyeur boys. Flashbacks, apparent dreams, repeated scenes, unexplained images. None of it worked for me. About the only thing that held my interest was whether or not Liv Ullman would ever speak a line. The answer to even this question remained ambiguous.

This is the "Emperor's New Clothes" of all art films, as far as I am concerned. There is nothing there.
39 of 79 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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