Face to Face (1976)

A married couple of psychiatrists has their relationship tested when one suffers a mental breakdown.

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writer:

Ingmar Bergman

Stars:

Liv Ullmann, Erland Josephson, Aino Taube

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Liv Ullmann	...	Dr. Jenny Isaksson
Erland Josephson	...	Dr. Tomas Jacobi
Aino Taube	...	The Grandmother
Gunnar Björnstrand	...	The Grandfather
Kristina Adolphson	...	Nurse Veronica
Marianne Aminoff	...	Jenny's Mother
Gösta Ekman	...	Mikael Strömberg
Helene Friberg	...	Anna, Jenny's Daughter
Ulf Johansson	...	Helmuth Wankel (as Ulf Johanson)
Sven Lindberg	...	Jenny's Husband
Jan-Erik Lindqvist	...	Jenny's Father
Birger Malmsten	...	Rapist
Sif Ruud	...	Elisabeth Wankel
Göran Stangertz	...	Rapist
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mona Andersson	...	Patient

Storyline

A sensitive exploration of the tragic irony of the psychiatrist suffering with mental illness. Dr. Jenny Isaksson is a psychiatrist married to another psychiatrist; both are successful in their jobs but slowly, agonizingly, she succumbs to a breakdown. Jenny is haunted by images and emotions from her past and eventually cannot function, either as a wife, a doctor or as an individual.

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Plot Keywords:

psychiatrist | suicide attempt | hallucination | dream | rape | 

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Taglines:

A woman's most intimate encounter with the one person she didn't know. Herself.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Sweden USA

Language:

Swedish

Release Date:

5 April 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Face to Face

Filming Locations:

Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinematograph AB, Sveriges Radio

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min 176 min (4 parts) (TV)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The TV version is a four-part mini-series: 1. Uppbrottet (The Separation); 2. Gränsen (The Border); 3. Skymningslandet (The Twilight Land); 4. Återkomsten (The Return). A total of 176 minutes compared to the film's 130 minutes (25 fps).

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Quotes

Dr. Jenny Isaksson: Why must I always have a guilty conscience?

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Connections

Referenced in Spider (2002)

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Soundtracks

Fantasy in C-minor, K.475
By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Käbi Laretei

User Reviews

Excellent Film

In this harrowing film about the mental collapse of a psychiatrist, Bergman shows exactly why he is a master film maker/director. He dissects Jenny's breakdown with such precision, from the meeting with her grandmother to her eventual complete crash into insanity, it is difficult not to be wrenched into the film. The acuteness of Jenny's anxiety and fears grow steadily and continuously as the film moves along and you have no choice to feel it too. The choice of music also exacerbates that feeling of impending disintegration of Jenny's mind. Liv Ullman who plays Jenny does an awesome job in this rather ironic role of the shrink who is slowly but surely losing her own mind. This may be a slow moving film for some, but this is exactly why this movie is done so well. It is a definite watch.