Great acting and some really striking visuals, but this is the kind of Bergman film I sometimes struggle with. When it's nothing but despair and people talking about how miserable they are, I sort of check out, and find the characters less engaging in a weird way.
When Bergman balances the drama with a little bit of something else (like Shame, which is a really tense war/sort of survival movie), or just has really compelling characters (like Scenes From a Marriage), I tend to prefer that. Couldn't engage with The Passion or Anna for the same reason I could never get into Cries and Whispers (that movie even put me off watching more Bergman for years; could be worth reciting though).
When Bergman balances the drama with a little bit of something else (like Shame, which is a really tense war/sort of survival movie), or just has really compelling characters (like Scenes From a Marriage), I tend to prefer that. Couldn't engage with The Passion or Anna for the same reason I could never get into Cries and Whispers (that movie even put me off watching more Bergman for years; could be worth reciting though).