Review of Silence, The

Introduction

The Silence, third part of Ingmar Bergman’s ‘Faith’ trilogy, follows Tartan’s other releases Through a Glass Darkly and Winter Light. It deals with the story of two estranged sisters – one cold and unwell, the other physically healthy but craving the attentions of men. In a stay at a deserted hotel, they come to terms with their fractured relationship.

Video

The picture is reproduced well on DVD, mostly free of specks or any print marks. A good transfer, unlikely to be better unless given the Criterion treatment.

Audio

Included is the original Swedish mono soundtrack and English subtitles. The sound is clear and the subs easy to read. 7/10.

Features

A similar set of extras is included on this disc to the previous two films in the trilogy: two essays – one by Bergman and one by a film critic – and a set of filmographies.

Conclusion

I have to say that this film disappointed me greatly. I was expecting – at least from the title – a film that drew together the ideas and themes of the Bergman’s last two films, namely religion and “God’s silence”. Instead however, this is a mish-mash of half-baked ideas, banal dialogue, funeral procession-slow pacing and pretentiousness beyond belief. Of course, the cinematography is typically superb, and many on the shots along the hotel’s corridors can obviously be seen to later have influenced Stanley Kubrick when making The Shining. But craft is not enough without substance, and so I urge you to stay away from this one.