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The Sacrifice (1986)

Offret (original title)
PG | | Drama | 9 May 1986 (Sweden)
The Sacrifice Poster
Clip
3:59 | Clip
At the dawn of World War III, a man searches for a way to restore peace to the world and finds he must give something in return.

Director:

Andrei Tarkovsky (as Andrei Tarkovskij)

Writer:

Andrei Tarkovsky (scenario)

Stars:

Erland Josephson, Susan Fleetwood, Allan Edwall | See full cast & crew »
Reviews
Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 7 wins & 3 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

See all 1 video  »

Photos

See all 89 photos »
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Cast

Credited cast:
Erland Josephson ... Alexander
Susan Fleetwood ... Adelaide
Allan Edwall ... Otto
Guðrún Gísladóttir ... Maria (as Guðrún S. Gísladóttir)
Sven Wollter ... Victor
Valérie Mairesse ... Julia
Filippa Franzén ... Marta
Tommy Kjellqvist ... Gossen
Per Källman Per Källman ... Ambulansförare
Tommy Nordahl Tommy Nordahl ... Ambulansförare
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tintin Anderzon ... (voice)
Helena Brodin ... (voice)
Birgit Carlstén ... (voice)
Jane Friedmann Jane Friedmann ... (voice)
Miles Jonn-Dalton ... Lasse Hauer
See full cast »
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Storyline

Alexander, a journalist and former actor and philosopher, tells his little son how worried he is about the lack of spirituality of modern mankind. In the night of his birthday, the third world war breaks out. In his despair Alexander turns himself in a prayer to God, offering him everything to have the war not happen at all. Written by Gert de Boer

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

long take | witchcraft | religion | insanity | father son relationship | See All (26) »

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Official submission of Sweden for the 'Best Foreign Language Film' category of the 59th Academy Awards in 1986. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
[sub-titled]
Alexander: Come here and give me a hand, my boy.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Before end credits: "This film is dedicated to my son Andriosha - with hope and confidence. Andrei Tarkovskij" See more »

Connections

References Andrei Rublev (1966) See more »

Soundtracks

Matthäus-Passion: Erbarme Dich
Music by Johann Sebastian Bach
Conducted by Wolfgang Gönnenwein
Sung by Julia Hamari
EMI-Electrola GmbH LC 0233
See more »

User Reviews

Slow but satisfying.
1 December 2001 | by clard11 – See all my reviews

Quite possibly my favourite film. Quite why I'm not always sure -- perhaps this is really a rather pretentious film ? Perhaps one in which a long time is spent without engaging the audience ? One with perhaps the most unlikely postman one might meet outside of a Bergman film set ? But, from the moment the camera opens lovingly on the icon, to the closing as the ambulance drives away, I find myself captivated, and drawn back to watch again. As with Tarkovsky's other films, certain images linger long in the memory:"little man" watering the ikebana, the levitating witch, the crashing milk jug, the roar of the jets. For those of us cursed with a lifetime of weekly wage slavery this is a fine restorative film for the spirit.
43 of 56 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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Details

Country:

Sweden | France | UK

Language:

Icelandic | Swedish | French | English

Release Date:

9 May 1986 (Sweden) See more »

Also Known As:

The Sacrifice See more »

Filming Locations:

Tunnelgatan, Norrmalm, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden See more »
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Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,696, 22 October 2017

Gross USA:

$81,963

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$167,292
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI), Argos Films, Film Four International See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1
See full technical specs »
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