Ingmar Bergman is the greatest Swedish director and a great influence in cinema. Along with The Seventh Seal, Fanny and Alexander, Wild Strawberries, Cries and Whispers and Persona, The Passion of Anna is one of his best. But sadly it is not as recognised as much as these and I think it should be. Visually, as always with Bergman it is remarkable. The colours are really warm in look. The cinematography and direction are superb, as are the haunting score and thought-provoking dialogue. The story I cannot praise enough, the relationship between Andreas and Anna is one of the most intense and convincing of any film from Bergman's resume, and while detached somewhat everything feels realistic and the intensity of the story and the relationship of the characters really drew me in. The characters are not likable in a way, but what they are is compellingly real, one of Bergman's greatest strengths in terms of characterisation was always his understanding of women and in my mind The Passion of Anna is one of the finest examples of that. The two lead performances are outstanding, Max Von Sydow's facial expressions and eye contact always tell a lot and Liv Ullman's acting shows many complex emotions and seamlessly, her beautiful eyes are also very expressive and telling. Overall, a brilliant film and deserves to be more regarded than it is. 10/10 Bethany Cox
Review of The Passion of Anna
