Shame (1968)

In the midst of a civil war, former violinists Jan and Eva Rosenberg, who have a tempestuous marriage, run a farm on a rural island. In spite of their best efforts to escape their homeland, the war impinges on every aspect of their lives.

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writer:

Ingmar Bergman

Stars:

Liv Ullmann, Max von Sydow, Sigge Fürst

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 9 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Liv Ullmann	...	Eva Rosenberg
Max von Sydow	...	Jan Rosenberg, Evas man
Sigge Fürst	...	Filip, gerillaledare
Gunnar Björnstrand	...	överste Jacobi, borgmästare
Birgitta Valberg	...	fru Jacobi
Hans Alfredson	...	Fredrik Lobelius, antikhandlare
Ingvar Kjellson	...	Oswald, lärare i förhörslokalen
Frank Sundström	...	Förhörsledaren
Ulf Johansson	...	Läkaren i förhörslokalen
Vilgot Sjöman	...	Tv-intervjuaren
Bengt Eklund	...	vakten på Jacobis expedition
Gösta Prüzelius	...	Kyrkoherden i förhörslokalen
Willy Peters	...	En äldre officer
Barbro Hiort af Ornäs	...	Kvinna i flyktingbåten
Agda Helin	...	Handlarfrun

Storyline

During civil war, two musicians retreat to a rural island to farm. They are apolitical; a neighbor sometimes gives them a fish; wine is a luxury. They love each other, but there are problems: the war upsets Jan, he is weepy, too sensitive; Eva wants children, he does not. The war suddenly arrives: rebels attack, neighbors die. When the other side restores order, Jan and Eva are arrested as collaborators. After frightening and roughing them up, the local colonel releases them; then he begins appearing at their farmhouse: to talk or to pursue Eva? He gives her money. The rebels return; chaos ensues. Jan becomes violent and murderous; they flee. Can they escape? If so, to what?

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Plot Keywords:

island | farm | musician | fictional war | soldier | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Release Date:

23 December 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shame

Filming Locations:

Visby, Gotland, Sweden

Box Office

Budget:

SEK2,800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinematograph AB, Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although generally regarded as one of Ingmar Bergman's finest films, the director himself was largely unhappy with the film. In his book "Images: My Life in Film", Bergman wrote that he felt the script was uneven, resulting in a poor first half.

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Goofs

Considering the bomb explosions near the house and the greenhouse, it is odd that some many glass windows are still present later.

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Quotes

Eva Rosenberg: I had a dream. I was walking down a very beautiful street... and on one side there were white houses, with high arches and pillars. On the other side, there was a shady park. Under the trees which were growing near the street. there was a stream of dark green water. And then I came to a high wall, and it was overgrown with roses. And then came an airplane and set the roses on fire. But it wasn't too awful since it was so beautiful. I watched the reflections in the water, and saw how the roses ...

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Connections

Featured in Bergman: A Year in the Life (2018)

User Reviews

A flawless simple film

It's difficult to choose a representative film from the entire Ingmar Bergman's filmography. Each film deserves a comment because it's like a piece of art in its own.

I chose "Skammen" because I saw it recently and because I think the message -although being a 1968 film- is still valid. The subject is quite simple: a couple is surprised by war, which changes forever the existence of the two people. We can discover their real feelings and their real values.

We can find shame in more levels.

First, husband's shame for not being able of giving a child to his woman. He's also an extremely coward man in the first half of the movie, he feels shame also for that.

Second, wife's shame for not being a mother -she feels frustrated. She's shameful also because she has betrayed her man with an important man of their country's army.

Third. They both feel shame because they pretend being friends of this man, who saves them from tortures and jail. (They're actually accused of being traitors, in expressing other political opinions.) As a compensation, that man come to their home whenever he wants and take advantage of his position for becoming a woman's lover. The husband lets things going like this, it's the price he pays for a kind of freedom...

Fourth. Shameful is of course war and life during it.

Bergman makes a flawless movie, he studies people as they are. Without big budgets and huge sets. A simple film, deep, superbly photographed in black and white.