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Shame (1968)

Shame (1968)
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Shame is grand master Ingmar Bergman's bitter and unsparing condemnation of war - all war, regardless of which side one chooses. The story begins with two ex-musicians, Eva and Jan Rosenberg (Liv Ullmann and Max von Sydow, respectively) peacefully inhabiting a weathered house where they grow fruits and vegetables. The residence is located on a desolate, arid island in some unspecified geographic location. Many items in The Rosenbergs' house, such as the radio, aren't functioning properly, and an explosive conflict transpires in the distance. (To avoid being ideologically pigeonholed, Bergman avoids identifying either side of the struggle or the reasons for the conflict itself). The Rosenbergs remain aloof, detached and geographically removed from the struggle, but little by little, over time, various elements of the war seep into the couples' lives and force their involvement. The tumult first sets in when jet planes roar over the house; then a parachutist gets killed and soldiers turn up at the Rosenberg residence. Finally, Eva and Jan get forcibly interrogated and incarcerated. Following the complete obliteration of the Rosenberg house, Eva has sex with one of the military leaders, Colonel Jacobi (Gunnar Bjornstrand) for unspecified reasons. Although Bergman never explicitly makes it clear if Jan witnesses this, he does deliberately conceal money that he could have easily used to buy Jacobi's freedom from the other side. As the heart-wrenching tale rolls forward, circumstances force The Rosenbergs into a face-to-face confrontation with their own identities and emotions. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi

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Starring:
Liv Ullmann, Max von Sydow, (more)
Director(s):
Ingmar Bergman
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of Shame

Shame is grand master Ingmar Bergman's bitter and unsparing condemnation of war - all war, regardless of which side one chooses. The story begins with two ex-musicians, Eva and Jan Rosenberg (Liv Ullmann and Max von Sydow, respectively) peacefully inhabiting a weathered house where they grow fruits and vegetables. The residence is located on a desolate, arid island in some unspecified geographic location. Many items in The Rosenbergs' house, such as the radio, aren't functioning properly, and an explosive conflict transpires in the distance. (To avoid being ideologically pigeonholed, Bergman avoids identifying either side of the struggle or the reasons for the conflict itself). The Rosenbergs remain aloof, detached and geographically removed from the struggle, but little by little, over time, various elements of the war seep into the couples' lives and force their involvement. The tumult first sets in when jet planes roar over the house; then a parachutist gets killed and soldiers turn up at the Rosenberg residence. Finally, Eva and Jan get forcibly interrogated and incarcerated. Following the complete obliteration of the Rosenberg house, Eva has sex with one of the military leaders, Colonel Jacobi (Gunnar Bjornstrand) for unspecified reasons. Although Bergman never explicitly makes it clear if Jan witnesses this, he does deliberately conceal money that he could have easily used to buy Jacobi's freedom from the other side. As the heart-wrenching tale rolls forward, circumstances force The Rosenbergs into a face-to-face confrontation with their own identities and emotions. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
93 mins

Complete Cast of Shame


Director(s):
Ingmar Bergman
Writer(s):
Ingmar Bergman
Producer(s):
Lars-Owe Carlberg
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R(Profanity, Not For Children, Adult Situations, Violence)
Shame Awards:
  • 1969 - National Board of Review - Best Foreign Film
Warning:  This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age.

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    Ann C.

    This story was a very personal one for Ingmar Bergman, as it is set on 2 Baltic islands: Faro, his artistic retreat and eventual burial place, and Gotland, a boat ride away. He imagines what would happen if a hostile force invaded both islands and captured their inhabitants. The final scene is a shocker. While I am somewhat neutral in evaluating "Shame," as it left me feeling detached for the most part, it is well worth viewing if you want to see Liv Ullmann and Max von Sydow bringing another intense Bergman work to life.

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    Joseph P.

    Yes this movie can be change to English if you go to languages then go to no sub-titles...This was a very complex movie that keep you guessing..Liv Ullmann was great as Eva and Max von Sydow was amazing as a man lost.

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    Keith G.

    Dubbed a masterpiece by most critics, I certainly thought was an interesting, brilliantly well made film, but one that did no€™t have a devastating emotional effect. Going in knowing little, part of what I liked about the film be sacrilege to most writers who see the film as completely, unbearably bleak, and using that to make it an effective cry against war. I actually found a good portion of it very blackly funny, in a sort of €˜Dr. Strangelove€™, sort of way. The surreal insanity of the behavior of the soldiers and officials around our normal working class couple seemed so exaggerated, almost Keystone Cops with guns, that it did seem very effectively anti-war, but not in the way seen by those who write of unrelieved depression and misery. That said, it grew ever more real, and by the end felt truly dramatic and haunting. But I wonder if I was misreading the intention... Another l have to re-visit. I just need to put that stamp on all on all films by Bergman.

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