Themes in Bergman’s Work
Ingmar Bergman is well-known for his investigation of the complexity inherent in the human condition and for the constant thematic and visual consistency that permeates his body of work. His film works include themes that revolve around the melancholic elements of existence, including suffering, loneliness, sterility, darkness, and the intense anguish of the soul. Despite the sad nature of thematic inquiries, Bergman’s collaboration with acclaimed cinematographer Sven Nykvist has resulted in a remarkable body of work for its ability to capture visually arresting and startlingly beautiful sights.
The narrative of Cries and Whispers transports the audience to a place of intense anguish, hatred, and terror interspersed with moments of transcendent love and selflessness. Through the duality, Bergman can confront his inner anguish and sentiments of self-disgust and envy for others who have faith.
The narrative takes place in the vast gardens of a sizable Swedish manor. It tells the story of Agnes, a dying woman, and the people who come to care for her: her sisters (Maria and Karin) and her faithful servant, Anna. The story’s central theme is the linked experiences of the women, who are connected by a shared history of sorrow and suffering, even though supporting male characters like two spouses and a doctor come and go.
In his autobiographical essay The Magic Lantern, Bergman wrote about a formative childhood episode in which he felt imprisoned in the Sophiahemmet morgue—the royal hospital where he had previously been free to move about. His encounter with a deceased young girl is the focus of the moving memory, which evokes visceral feelings of intimacy and mortality as he wrestles with the tangible reality of death and the frail, fleeting nature of existence itself.
Cries and Whispers takes place in the shadow of an old English manor, providing a setting for the intertwined stories of four main characters: Agnes, Maria, Karin, and Anna. Agnes, the manor’s owner, battles the deadly disease known as womb cancer while maintaining a youthful, virginal appearance. During Agnes’s last days, her sisters Maria and Karin, who are both burdened by unhappy marriages, gather at the house to provide support and comfort. Anna, the devoted housekeeper, demonstrates that she is a determined caretaker. Her goal is to make Agnes’s condition better.
The film depicts in great detail Agnes’s terrible decline into excruciating agony in her final two days of life, which ultimately leads to her death and, in a symbolic sense, to her spiritual rebirth and lasting legacy. Cries and Whispers is a moving examination of the complex lives of its characters, exploring the far-reaching consequences of their mental and physical suffering as well as the various coping strategies they use to get through their struggles.
Cries and Whispers, a film known for its frank depiction of human sorrow, is a perfect example of Bergman’s directorial vision. With a rawness and immediacy unseen in Bergman’s body of work, the film pushes the envelope of emotional intensity and invites viewers to confront the depths of human experience. Bergman sets the stage for the emotional intimacy at the center of the picture with Persona, which is notable for its use of close-ups to expose the enigmatic details of the human psyche.
As Bergman’s journey progresses, Cries and Whispers emerges as a pivotal work, the pinnacle of his exploration into the realms of existential agony and psychological grief. Later works testify to the film’s impact on Bergman’s creative path; it shifts towards realism and reflective reflection on his own life and failures.
In the contemplative reflections found in Images: My Life in Film, Bergman encapsulates the essence of Cries and Whispers, comparing it to an eerie poem in which a human soul hangs precariously on the edge of death, pleading for comfort, mercy, and salvation amid existential despair.
Cries and Whispers is unquestionably a film that delves into the complexities of the female experience while providing a frank depiction of gender roles and sexual politics. Men act as helpless individuals comforting Agnes amid her suffering, exemplified by characters such as the priest and the doctor. In addition, Karin and Maria’s husbands show a severe lack of understanding of their wives’ emotional needs, which emphasizes the widespread disconnection in marriages.
Portrayal of Female Characters as Symbolic Monsters
But all of the female characters, save for Anna, are portrayed as symbolically frightening monsters, and their struggles are a mirror of psychological and existential nightmares. Agnes’s visceral presentation of her sexual anatomy evokes a feeling of fear and anxiety, evoking memories of Cronenbergian body horror. Maria’s extramarital affairs highlight the devastating effects of adultery in the home by triggering her husband’s desperate attempt at death. The most startling illustration of Karin’s emotional suffering and desperation is her act of self-mutilation on her sexual organs.
However, while being portrayed as a metaphor for a caring mother, Agnes, and her biological daughter both die while in Anna’s custody, making her role as a caregiver ultimately meaningless. The famous cinematographer Nykvist, who worked with Bergman on Cries and Whispers, created a striking visual composition that highlights the main themes of the narrative. The vivid blood-red hue that permeates the mise-en-scène symbolizes the severe mental anguish and spiritual strife that exist in the deepest recesses of the human psyche.
The female characters’ clothing choices, which reflect their emotional states and story arcs, are visually represented by their transitions from vintage floor-length white gowns or bedclothes to mourning black after Agnes’s death. Bergman claims that the chromatic duality draws attention to the primary emotive themes of spirituality, death, and blood; it runs throughout the narrative.
Periodic breaks, like brief views of the lush estate grounds, provide momentary solace from the oppressive aura of suffering and death that permeates the story. Human existence is cyclical, alternating between fleeting moments of serenity and terrible misery; the contrast between the brief intervals of comfort and the overall sense of claustrophobia and hopelessness highlights it.
Cries and Whispers began for Bergman as a reoccurring spatial motif—a chamber filled with women dressed in white and draped in crimson—a visual representation of the deepest corners of the human spirit. The film’s visual tapestry captures the tremendous emotional and psychological depths explored within its narrative, from the achingly beautiful morning visuals indicating innocence and purity to the steady decline into crimson hues expressing physiological immediacy.
In Cries and Whispers, Bergman cleverly combines his perceptive perspective and the unique personalities of the four women. The distinctive attire of each woman serves as a method to provide a deeper understanding of the character’s mental states and visual documentation of their individuality. Bergman uses close-up shots of Agnes’ body to break things up; he paints a painful picture of the disease that killed her body and illuminates the intensity of her deep suffering.
In addition, dream sequences, somnambulistic motions, and vignettes enrich the film’s structure—which is notable for being non-linear, fluid, and associative. Each character has subjective flashbacks that Bergman uses to give the audience insight into their deepest feelings, motivations, and thoughts. The surreal sequences play with the boundaries of reality and illusion, making viewers question the events’ veracity depicted while acknowledging the Freudian premise that dreams and fantasies are as significant as real experiences.
Bergman’s storytelling approach relies heavily on the seamless integration of subjective memories, which are marked by transitions framed by dramatic hues of deep red and represent the psychological depth and emotional intensity of the moments presented. The flashbacks are not just biographical; they capture pivotal moments of catharsis and emotional distress instead, such as when Maria daringly seduces the doctor or when Karin triumphantly self-harms to manage her marital conflict.
Cries and Whispers presents itself as an investigation of the interior environment, distinguished by surreal settings and abstract redness that conjure ideas of existential vulnerability and maternal caring. During a moment of solitary reflection on Fårö island, Bergman penned the screenplay, which possesses a richness of themes that surpasses the morgue location. It explores deep reflections on mortality and the intricacies of maternal eroticism.
The crucial topic of Cries and Whispers is awful suffering, which binds all the characters together despite their unique and well-defined personalities. Whether it be physical or mental misery, the film is an exploration of pain. The plot revolves around Agnes’s extreme physical suffering, which stands for the boundaries of human endurance and mortality. In the annals of film history, the portrayal of Agnes’s excruciating struggle in the final moments before her death is a terrifying and indelible representation of pain.
Blending Past and Present
Similar to Agnes, Maria and Karin also experience psychological suffering and repression in their lives, which reflects the depth of Agnes’s physical suffering. Karin’s eerie flashback, in which she cuts herself to get away from the cruelty of her abusive husband’s intimate relationships, is a moving illustration of how life is suffocating for her.
In particular, Cries and Whispers paints a bleak and melancholic picture of suffering; the individuals had no solace or relief from religious or medical advice. The pessimistic view of the effectiveness of conventional consolation sources is consistent with recurrent themes in Bergman’s body of work, especially his examination of religion’s inability to soothe the troubled soul.
Interpersonal relationships further emphasize the protagonists’ continuous sense of emotional misery and isolation throughout the entire film. Scenes of family strife and betrayal—like the smug way the surviving sisters and their husbands treat Anna—highlight the film’s biting indictment of class privilege and familial neglect. In actuality, Cries and Whispers employs the deathbed and the realization that death is unavoidable as a catalyst for introspection, self-awareness, and existential crises.
Cries and Whispers skillfully blends the past and present in its framework, bringing to life poignant moments from the characters’ lives to shed light on the intricacies of their relationships and internal conflict. A sense of melancholy reminiscent of Chekhovian and Strindbergian themes permeates the film’s evocative imagery, which includes close-up shots of a dollhouse symbolizing female confinement. It also pays homage to Ibsen’s examination of bourgeois boredom and familial entrapment.
Unquestionably, Cries and Whispers has a rich and intricate religious subtext that seeps into the plot with themes of Agnes’s martyrdom metaphor and the demise of institutional religion. With his wavering confidence and outlandish prayer in Agnes’s last hours, the chaplain—a figure representing institutionalized faith—becomes a moving mirror of a decadent religious system. The prayer emphasizes the priest’s spiritual struggle and establishes a connection between Agnes and Jesus Christ, endowing her suffering with a meaning akin to sacrifice.
The film shows how Agnes’s suffering and death served as a trigger for the sisters’ emotional opening and reconciliation, creating a momentary link between them in the face of their shared loss. The high-angle shot of Agnes’s lifeless body and the moving imagery reminiscent of Michelangelo’s Pietà, in which Anna tenderly and compassionately cradles Agnes’s figure, demonstrate how the crucifixion motif penetrates the story. The touching scenario gains complexity from Frank Gado’s portrayal of Anna as embodying both the womb and death, providing a merciful reprieve from earthly pain.
A strong sense of emotional scars and familial tragedy permeates the film, underscoring the characters’ interactions and reflections. Agnes and Anna seem to have sought solace from the family wounds that befall the rest of the family by choosing to live together in the family house instead of following traditional marriage conventions. The film’s stunning dream sequence, in which Agnes seeks comfort from her sisters only to be rejected, poignantly mimics the composition of Pietà, implying themes of forgiveness and redemption amid familial conflict.
The film’s thematic relevance is further enhanced by Agnes’s return home and her contemplations on childhood, especially in light of her memories of her mother and the poignant visuals they create. A sense of nostalgic longing and introspective reverie permeates the scene thanks to Bergman’s deft use of visual and audio cues, such as the glowing cream petals of a rose and the ethereal portrayal of Agnes’s mother amid sun-dappled gardens. By taking on the kid’s viewpoint, similar to his later work in Fanny and Alexander, Bergman takes viewers into childhood consciousness, where feelings and recollections blend to create a strong sense of maternal comfort and familial connection.
However, Cries and Whispers emphasizes its bright color palette; it consists of shades of red, black, and white—all of which have deep symbolic value in Bergman’s narrative. The colors serve as visual themes that are skillfully woven into the film’s story to bolster its thematic coherence and resonance. The colors create a visual language that often precedes spoken words, resulting in a setting that transcends language boundaries and connects with Lacan’s pre-linguistic and pre-symbolic realm of consciousness.
Red is the most common hue among them, showing up in practically all of the scenes that take place inside the manor. As the phrase from the beginning implies, the color red represents the depths of the human soul. We can also see it as a metaphor for the womb, a place of powerful feelings and real fears. In contrast, white alludes to the subtext of sexual inhibition while also symbolizing the concepts of innocence and purity; we usually associate it with the virgin Agnes. Since black represents religion, it highlights the film’s exploration of faith and spirituality, particularly Christianity and priests. Black is a recurring subject in Bergman’s work.
Symbolism of Colors: Red, White, and Black
Remarkably, there are usually two primary ways in which the contrasted colors are red and white or red and black. It creates an intense emotional resonance and a stark contrast that draws attention to Bergman’s study of conflicting forces affecting the human condition. By skillfully navigating themes of inner unrest and societal limits through visual symbolism, Bergman invites audiences to reflect on the relationship between existential suffering and socio-cultural repression.
Cries and Whispers was a surprising success for a foreign-language film; after its release, it garnered much attention and got many nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, and Cinematography. The film’s significant influence may have come from its enigmatic and intensely emotional portrayal of the human condition and its limited appeal to specific demographic groups, yet it has also often resisted complex interpretations. The film’s portrayal of the emotions speaks for itself without requiring a theoretical explanation or detailed explanation.
Agnes’s close bond with her mother, which is complicated and full of love, rejection, and longing, is essential to the film’s overall theme. Bergman explores Agnes’s memories of her mother through moving flashbacks and reflective reflections, painting a complex picture of maternal love tinged with both tenderness and harshness. The memories play crucial roles in the film, shedding light on Agnes’s mental state and adding great emotional nuance and depth to the all-inclusive theme of Cries and Whispers.
Cries and Whispers shows the contradiction of visual plugs; it functioned as a component of the opposing but broader system of forces throughout the film. Adapted from Swedish music critic Yngve Flycht’s critique of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21, the film’s title’s juxtaposition suggests the idea of antagonism throughout the production. Cries represent the depths of human misery and turmoil within the setting. They communicate a range of emotional states, such as suffocation, agony, grief, impotence, loneliness, and regret. Whispers, on the other hand, represent the more nurturing and softer sides of the human psyche and are associated with feelings of sympathy, tolerance, love, and compassion.
In Cries and Whispers, the characters are caught up in a convoluted web of feelings, divided between the opposing desires to let out cries of pain and to find comfort in quiet declarations of love and understanding. Even after Agnes makes the ultimate sacrifice, the film declines to provide any satisfying denouement for the internal conflicts. Rather, it is a thoughtful examination of the human condition that invites spectators to reflect on the complexity of life and the illusive nature of meaning.
Based on the film’s ambiguous conclusion, some viewers might conclude that Agnes has left behind her torturous martyrdom and entered a glorious paradise. However, some would see it as a severe condemnation of her sacrifice’s pointlessness, emphasizing the recurring existential themes throughout the narrative. But, as with many of Bergman’s compositions, the real meaning of Cries and Whispers is found in the characters’ and viewers’ profound journey of self-discovery, not in the story’s resolution.
Bergman’s work is full of themes of spirituality and existential suffering; it reflects his lifelong agnosticism and his concern for God’s silence in a terrible and uncertain world. His collaborations with performers like Liv Ullmann, Harriet Andersson, Ingrid Thulin, and Bibi Andersson showcase a distinct blend of sensuality and psychological subtlety, apparent in their moving portrayals of maternal erotica and tender displays of love and care. The combination of sensual and maternal themes finds its fullest expression in Cries and Whispers, which goes beyond conventional psychoanalytic frameworks to examine the intricacies of women’s emotions and family dynamics with unmatched compassion and complexity. Bergman’s groundbreaking examination of the people, then, electrifies the image and gives it a lasting legacy of emotional resonance and intricacy along with a euphoric intensity.
In Cries and Whispers, Bergman presents Anna’s faith simply and directly. She expresses her faith by lighting candles, kneeling in front of pictures of her departed daughter, and fervently pleading with God for comfort and love. Her subsequent, perfectly timed gesture of blowing out the candle and eating an apple highlights her grounded, pragmatic attitude to spirituality, signifying a happy coexistence of faith and material nourishment.
Inspired by religious iconography, images depicting Agnes’ body ready after her death recall the women who cared for Christ’s body after his crucifixion. The agonized screams that Agnes lets out in her last moments eerily mirror the biblical story’s cry of abandonment, implying a deep existential struggle with God during her agony.
In hindsight, the mature Agnes demonstrates much empathy for the complex emotions of love and envy and her mother’s profound sentiments of loneliness and boredom. The film alludes discreetly to Agnes’s secret want to follow in her mother’s footsteps by staying in her childhood’s red room and turning to her sisters for comfort and sympathy throughout her difficult period. Throughout the narrative, her need for her parents’ affection and companionship provides a poignant analysis of emotional vulnerability and familial bonds.
Existential Concerns and Compassion in Mortality
Cries and Whispers delves into main existential concerns like the nature of presence and compassion in the face of mortality as it examines the difficulties of loving and caring beneath the shadow of death. Across his entire body of work, Bergman addresses the common themes of mortality and existential anguish, and his moving depiction of Agnes’s plight serves as a poignant reflection on the human experience.
Bergman eloquently conveys the heart of Agnes’s existential quandary in his comments on Cries and Whispers in Images, depicting her as both spiritually adrift and simultaneously alive in the throes of death. Her fervent pleas for warmth and company strike a profound chord, acting as a chilling reminder of the universal human need for affection and connection in the face of death. Agnes receives compassionate care from Anna in her last hours amidst the indifference of others, highlighting the transformational power of compassion and human connection in the face of suffering.
The film’s final scenes display a strong emotional impact, especially during Anna’s last conversation with the heartless family. She is called upon and given a small amount of money with the disdainful instruction to go after being given a meager “memory” as a token. Anna makes her rare appearance of opposition as she says, “I want nothing.” Although she may have been treated poorly on the outside, it turns out that she has preserved something valuable: a package containing Agnes’ journal. Anna reads Agnes’ moving words on a beautiful fall day spent in the garden with her sisters, highlighting the fleeting moments of happiness amid excruciating pain. It helps the film showcase the complex and bittersweet aspects of human existence.
The film skillfully handles the complexities of emotion, but its underlying condemnation of the sisters’ flaws is unquestionably upsetting. Bergman’s persistent depiction of the characters’ moral failings exemplifies the critical perspective, which is crucial to the film’s structure. In a desperate attempt to win back her former partner, the family doctor, his penetrating gaze penetrates Maria’s mask of beauty, revealing the harshness of her visage’s ostentatious aspects. Bergman uses the detailed portrayal of moral failures to reflect his uncompromising worldview, exposing the characters’ flaws with nearly brutal tactics devoid of sympathy or feeling.
Against the film’s severe criticism, Anna is shown to be a calm and moral figure, in sharp contrast to the sisters’ flaws. Her serene demeanor, enhanced by a gentle plait of hair and smooth complexion, enthralls the observer, personifying a refined and kind motherly essence. Despite her unwavering devotion to Agnes and her priceless contributions to the family’s well-being, Maria, Karin, and their husbands harass Anna. Nonetheless, the film features two of the rawest and most passionate sequences that highlight Anna’s maternal virtue—her resilience and unwavering compassion amid the chaos and violence surrounding her.
Agnes’s thankfulness in the face of pain and death, preserved in Anna’s memento, represents an emotional heritage that extends beyond life. Karin and Maria came out of the contemplation of their impending death feeling spiritually lost and without comfort. By presenting himself as a flawed and contemplative individual, Bergman has openly acknowledged his shortcomings and penchant for brutality throughout his filmography. However, Bergman admires—and perhaps even envies—Anna’s faith, which is uncomplicated and unwavering, like a child’s, devoid of any uncertainty or doubts. Even though Anna’s faith may not be true after all, it is a sign of the human spirit’s tenacity and a glimmer of hope amid hopelessness.
In a poignant scene, Agnes suffers from her major illness. Anna comforts her throughout her difficult time by giving her a soft hug out of sympathy. The close-up images of their private conversation allow the audience to focus on the small details of their relationship, such as Agnes’ cheek gently pressed up against Anna’s breast and Anna’s hand caressing her gently. The film highlights the need for human connection when a person is vulnerable, emphasizing the transformative abilities of closeness and empathy to alleviate suffering and encourage emotional healing.
After Agnes’s death, the second scene shows her waking up in a condition of discomfort, an abnormal limbo that symbolizes the film’s miraculous and terrifying elements. Agnes screams in a Christlike way, and her sisters shrink away from her rotting body, disgusted by what they think is her touch. Anna’s approach to Agnes is so gentle and humble that it reminds me of Caravaggio’s depictions of Mary or the repentant Magdalene. In contrast, Anna exhibits unflinching compassion. The portrayal of Anna’s humility is more vivid than her earlier likenesses to well-known people. The sequence in which a nude Anna cradles Agnes in her lap effectively embodies the Pietà motif of the film. Agnes is resting on Anna’s elevated thigh. The moving scene emphasizes the transformational power of love and empathy in the face of pain and degradation, capturing the essence of human compassion and sacrifice.
The two sequences are unmatched in the annals of film history for their capacity to capture indescribable feelings in a concrete form—an expressive picture. Here, Agnes’s intense physical suffering and her need for her mother’s comfort are subtly and sensually relieved. Bergman creates an intimate and vulnerable visual tableau that exposes the essential elements of human experience in a way that is at once beautiful, melancholic, thought-provoking, and excruciating. Through its depiction of corporeal imagery, Cries and Whispers relentlessly pursues visceral physicality and profound emotional expression. The tactile element, the tangible fleshiness, is abundant in the aural realm. It includes the horrible noises of Agnes’s last, desperate breaths, her screams for help after she passes away, and Maria’s terrified gasps as she struggles with her sister in the mortuary room. The film explores the depths of terror, fragility, and human weakness through sensory experiences, leaving a lasting impression on the audience’s mind.
Cries and Whispers deftly examines the extremes of human experience while emphasizing the sensual depiction of women engaging in intimate physical contact. By deftly contrasting the poetry section with the previous portrayal of Agnes’s excruciating anguish, the film achieves a nuanced balance between horror and love. A somber meditation on the complexities of human existence and the secrets of love and mortality is provided by the film.
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