The Passion of Anna
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Year Released: 1969
Rating: 1.5
Unsuccessful Bergman picture that resorts to weak pleas for emotion (the slaughtering of sheep, the strangulation of a tiny puppy) and distracts itself with some unexpected inserts of documentary footage where the actors are asked what they think about the characters they played. The improvisation does not work and there isn't enough time allotted to the Max von Sydow/Liv Ullmann relationship to show it properly 'fall apart.' Bergman doesn't seem to know where he wants to 'take' all of this disparate material and it shows (his trusty actors just go along with it). The final shot is amazing, however.
