The Silence is the finale of Ingmar Bergman's so-called "Silence of God" trilogy, with the preceding two films being Winter Light and Through a Glass Darkly. There are no recurring characters across the film and, were you to encounter all three randomly, it would be difficult to tie them together as a unified bunch unless someone told you of the link. In that respect, I think it is unfair to consider the film as part of any trilogy or larger project. Viewed on its own, it is an interesting analytical piece, but not necessarily an enjoyable film.
The Silence tells the story of Ester and Anna, a pair of sisters with deep bitterness and resentment between them, and Johan, the son of one of them, seemingly Anna. None of this is apparent from the film until more than halfway in, and even then the viewer must piece it together. Should you blink at the wrong time and miss the subtitles, the "plot" may become even more incomprehensible. Together, these three are journeying home(ish). The destination is unclear, and en route they are forced to stay for some time at a hotel in an unnamed European city where we discover that Ester is seriously (perhaps terminally) ill. Anna, on the other hand, seems delighted to flaunt her ability dress alluringly and go out into the city and attract sexual mates, no matter if Johan must be left behind in Ester's care or else to wander the hotel halls, discovering (but not understanding) the acts in which his mother is engaging. It is unclear throughout if Anna indeed desires sex with random men or if it all is simply a way to spite Ester.
The Silence portrays an isolated world of suffering, with further bleakness on the horizon. War seems imminent, with tanks maneuvering through the narrow city streets. Almost no one speaks the same language as Ester and Anna, all of which seems to increase the suffering of the sisters. Ester struggles with her illness as the hotel porter looks on, witnessing the pain but unable to comprehend what Ester says. Anna looks on at Ester's pain apathetically, possibly even hoping that Ester dies, The one who understands does not help, and the ones that help do not understand. Even so, Anna herself seems distraught at the lack of any meaning in her encounters in the city. The young boy looks on at it all and is unable to process the meaning.
The movie is interesting, but leans much too far into the abstract realm for my taste. The film is incredibly light on dialogue, and most of that dialogue serves the purpose of indirectly signaling character thought processes to the viewer, as the different characters frequently do not speak the same language as one another. Even dialogue in the same language requires unpacking and interpretation by the viewer. The camerawork is excellent, as always is the case for a Bergman film, but the amount of energy required to process and unravel what is happening puts the viewer so far into analytical mode as to render the movie unenjoyable from a viewer perspective.
The Silence tells the story of Ester and Anna, a pair of sisters with deep bitterness and resentment between them, and Johan, the son of one of them, seemingly Anna. None of this is apparent from the film until more than halfway in, and even then the viewer must piece it together. Should you blink at the wrong time and miss the subtitles, the "plot" may become even more incomprehensible. Together, these three are journeying home(ish). The destination is unclear, and en route they are forced to stay for some time at a hotel in an unnamed European city where we discover that Ester is seriously (perhaps terminally) ill. Anna, on the other hand, seems delighted to flaunt her ability dress alluringly and go out into the city and attract sexual mates, no matter if Johan must be left behind in Ester's care or else to wander the hotel halls, discovering (but not understanding) the acts in which his mother is engaging. It is unclear throughout if Anna indeed desires sex with random men or if it all is simply a way to spite Ester.
The Silence portrays an isolated world of suffering, with further bleakness on the horizon. War seems imminent, with tanks maneuvering through the narrow city streets. Almost no one speaks the same language as Ester and Anna, all of which seems to increase the suffering of the sisters. Ester struggles with her illness as the hotel porter looks on, witnessing the pain but unable to comprehend what Ester says. Anna looks on at Ester's pain apathetically, possibly even hoping that Ester dies, The one who understands does not help, and the ones that help do not understand. Even so, Anna herself seems distraught at the lack of any meaning in her encounters in the city. The young boy looks on at it all and is unable to process the meaning.
The movie is interesting, but leans much too far into the abstract realm for my taste. The film is incredibly light on dialogue, and most of that dialogue serves the purpose of indirectly signaling character thought processes to the viewer, as the different characters frequently do not speak the same language as one another. Even dialogue in the same language requires unpacking and interpretation by the viewer. The camerawork is excellent, as always is the case for a Bergman film, but the amount of energy required to process and unravel what is happening puts the viewer so far into analytical mode as to render the movie unenjoyable from a viewer perspective.