Directed by Ingmar Bergman and released in its home country of Sweden in 1968.
Shame is yet another absolutely magnificent character-driven drama by the master that is Ingmar Bergman. The performances from Liv Ullmann and Max von Sydow are among the best of both of their careers even surpassing some of those in other Bergman productions (for example Ullmann’s spellbinding performances in Autumn Sonata and Persona aswell as von Sydow’s challenging performances in The Magician and The Seventh Seal). The lack of music adds a lot of depth that would otherwise have been glossed over had there been a traditional score. It is also very well paralleled with the fact that our two main characters are musicians themselves yet we hear none of their abilities nor anything on the score.
While the screenplay has some minor details that I felt were rushed and could’ve been fleshed out or erased completely before filming began – for example the young soldier who supposedly was living inside their greenhouse for weeks – I still feel that this is one of Bergman’s strongest films, if only for the stunning character development and awe-inspiring cinematography that is so prevalent in any of Bergman’s films that were filmed on this island.
Bergman’s journeys deep into the human soul and heart have always had profound effects on me and my own understanding of human nature, but I’m sure I’ll never be able to display it so vividly and illustriously as Bergman did throughout his career. I can only hope that I never run out of his films to watch… but sadly I know that one day I will.