The Serpent's Egg

Starring:Edith Heerdegen, Ellen Umlauf, Hubert Mittendorf, Volkert Kraeft, Heinz Bennent, Gunther Malzacher, Lisi Mangold, Glynn Turman, Toni Berger, Charles RÃ©gnier, Paul BÃ¼rks, Fritz Strassner, Paula Braend, David Carradine, James Whitmore, Kai Fischer, Heide Picha, Hertha von Walther, Liv Ullmann, Ralf Wolter
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Well done, but the aspect ratios are STILL wrong
MGM gets it right

The Ingmar Bergman Special Edition DVD Collection (Persona / Shame / Hour of the Wolf / The Passion of Anna / The Serpent's Egg)
Starring: Bibi Andersson , Gunnar Björnstrand , Margaretha Krook , Jörgen Lindström , and Liv Ullmann
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Manufacturer: MGM
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001MIK6I
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Amazon.com

There is no denying this fact: Ingmar Bergman's films are true commitments. Though averaging only an hour and a half in length, the psychological depth, the magnitude of human exploration, and the emotional rollercoaster you embark on while watching his films can stick with you for a lifetime. According to Bergman, "No form of art goes beyond ordinary consciousness as film does, straight to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls." By the mid-sixties, Bergman was about to show the world how far the medium film could go. He began to move away from his Seventh Seal style into the dreamlike, deconstructive, nonlinear realm that would continue throughout his career. This DVD set wonderfully captures all his landmark films of the late 1960s marking this significant transition. Each film stars Liv Ullmann, Bergman's beautiful muse, and involves another longtime collaborator, cinematographer Sven Nykvist. Each film has been remastered, and is presented in its unedited theatrical version loaded with pertinent extras, including a featurette on each film, interviews with cast members (every disc has an on-camera interview with Liv Ullmann), a feature-length commentary by Bergman biographer Marc Gervais on four of the films, and a wonderfully surprising commentary by David Carradine on The Serpent's Egg. Couple these films with an extra disc of supplemental material and you have yourself an incredible Ingmar Bergman film festival. --Rob Bracco

The Films:
In Persona (1966), Elisabeth Vogler (Live Ullmann) has stopped speaking and withdrawn from the world. At her doctor's orders, she moves to a remote cottage to be watched over by Nurse Alma (Bibi Andersson). To fill the silence, Nurse Alma talks aloud to her silent listener and slowly lays out her soul and identity to her patient. In essence, the nurse becomes the patient herself. If the extent of your Bergman exposure is The Seventh Seal, be prepared to get blown away by this film's hallucinatory, multilayered exploration in identity and personality. The hallucinatory analysis of personal identify continues with the haunting The Hour of the Wolf (Vargtimmen) (1968). Artist Johan Berg (Max von Sydow) is desperately trying hold on to his sanity, while being haunted by his demons. His wife (Ullmann) is trying to help, but also begins to share Johan's hallucinations. As they both begin a downward spiral Ullmann has to make a painful decision between the love of her husband or her own sanity. Shame (Skammen) (1968) stars von Sydow and Ullmann as a couple in the midst of a civil war. They escape to their farm for safety only to be haunted by the soldiers that invade their home. The Passion of Anna (En Passion) (1969) again stars von Sydow and Ullmann. Andreas and Anna live on a remote island with a neighboring couple. While trying to escape the skeletons of their pasts, they each seek solace in one another, even as their lives are torn apart by deception, isolation and psychological turmoil. The last film in the set is a leap forward to 1977. The Serpent's Egg (Das Schlangenei) may be the weakest of the set, but by no means is it a lesser film. It tells the tale of two Jewish trapeze artists trapped in Berlin during the Nazis regime. Bergman would only turn out three more feature films before disappearing into retirement. --Rob Bracco

Description

Disc 1: HOUR OF THE WOLF SE Disc 2: PASSION OF ANNA SE Disc 3: PERSONA SE Disc 4: THE SERPENT'S EGG SE Disc 5: SHAME SE Disc 6: BONUS DISC

Customer Reviews:

Well done, but the aspect ratios are STILL wrong.......2005-09-29

I had originally given this collection 5 stars, but then did some investigating. It turns out that although they've fixed the aspect ratios on a couple of the films, they are still wrong on Shame, Persona, and Hour of the Wolf. This effectively chops out about 12% of the films, destroying Bergman's original compositions. I didn't believe it at first until I went through scene-by-scene and realized the horrible truth.
[...]

MGM gets it right.......2004-04-24

After much confusion, the long-awaited Bergman set has finally come out. You can disregard all the negative comments you may have read about faked aspect ratios, etc. Yes, MGM tried to pull a fast one on a couple of the titles in this box, but after being caught out, they did the right thing by pulling the box and waiting to issue an excellent set with transfers that easily match those of Criterion, Kino, etc. (Let's hear it for consumer power!) All the titles are now in their proper aspect ratio. The black and white transfers (Persona, Hour of the Wolf and Shame) are truly beautiful. These films have probably not looked this good since they first came out. The digital transfers for the two colour titles offer equally fine video and clear original audio. The disc of bonus materials is fascinating, with rare interviews with Bergman himself from 1970 and 2002. The bonus disc and the five individual titles also offer interviews with key Bergman players, including Erland Josephson, Bibi Anderson and the ever-insightful Liv Ullmann.
As for the films, they speak for themselves. If you still haven't seen the four sixties films in this box (the summit of Bergman's art in the opinion of many critics), here's a chance to get acquainted with some truly great late-20th century art. Forget about the bad press. MGM got it right this time.

Average customer rating:

Not Bergman's best, but not a bad film overall
Is It Really The Master's Mistake?
The awful truth!
Children of a Darker God
Bergman's most underrated, and his creepiest film...

The Serpent's Egg
Starring: David Carradine , Liv Ullmann , Heinz Bennent , Walter Schmidinger , and Hertha von Walther
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0000YEELM
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Description

Director Ingmar Bergman explores the horrors of 1920s Germany and creates a hell on earth with a power few others could match (Cue) in this psychological thriller that casts a hypnotic spell of evil (Newsweek). Out-of-work trapeze artist Abel Rosenberg (David Carradine) finds the only way to navigate the surreal circus that is 1923 Berlin is to stay drunk. But even through his stupor, he can see the thread of a frightening mysteryeveryone he knows, even his most distant acquaintances, is dying violently. Can he survive or will his mind and soul completely unravel?

Customer Reviews:

Not Bergman's best, but not a bad film overall.......2007-06-24

This movie has a notorious reputation for being Bergman's 'worst film.' His collaborators have stated that he was overwhelmed by the demands of supervising a large crew; additionally, Bergman had never made a film on anything approaching a typical Hollywood budget. THE SERPENT'S EGG was supposed to be Bergman's break-through to the mainstream film market. Indeed, even though the film flopped in America, it made decent money in Europe, and became Bergman's largest grossing film of all time.

It's true, from the outset, that you can sense this isn't a typical Bergman movie. The emotional intimacy present in his previous films is gone. Bergman, who visualized things microscopically, was being asked to visualize macroscopically. The expansive vision of this film seems antithetical to the introspective Berman. His talent was most evident when he worked in small, manageable environments, focusing on individual actors. Here, he is trying to recall a time and place that demands meticulous attention to detail: Weimar Berlin. Bergman was in over his head.

There are certain elements of the film that were almost certainly a bow to the financial realities of working with producer Dino de Laurentiis (whose production company ultimately went broke in the 80's). For instance, the film stars David Carridine, who was a hot commodity at the time, but seems lost in this film; he is unable to respond to Bergman's direction and equally unable to respond to the script's visceral material. It's worth noting that longtime Bergman collaborator Liv Ullman seems at a bit of a loss, too. She turns in a very lukewarm performance, rising to the occasion only once in the whole film.

Despite all of this, THE SERPENT'S EGG is a good movie. But they key to finding the film's merits is the understanding that you have to look at the film NOT as a typical Berman movie, but rather, as Bergman trying to create a piece of German Expressionist cinema. Many aspects of the production, including the sets and the cinematography, echo the work of directors like Fritz Lang, F.W. Murnau, and G.W. Pabst, who comprise the backbone of 1920's German film. THE SERPENT'S EGG is not so much an homage as it is a re-imaginging of the German Expressionist milieu.

The film coalesces in the last 20 minutes, and it is a bit of a slog to that point. But it is ultimately worth it. The numerous red herrings that Bergman throws in seem sloppy because they ultimately do not contribute to the film's coherence; they seem to work against the main storyline rather than add to it. The film seems overlong and lumbering at times, and it is hard to say if that is an intentional aesthetic element or just Bergman's uneven performance as director. The end, however, is as chilling as any you'll find in film noir, containing a twist that echoes both Kafka and Musil.

Is It Really The Master's Mistake?.......2007-04-08

Fear, Loathing, and Despair in Berlin, November 1923

This film universally considered "the master's failure" but I don't agree with the statement. It is very different from the rest of Bergman's films I've seen but that does not make it failure for me. It is only Bergman's second film in English and it boasts an unusual for his films large budget (Dino De Laurentis was a producer) with enormous and elaborate sets. Bergman was able to recreate on the screen Germany (Berlin) of 1920th exactly how it was seen in the films of 1920th German directors - Fritz Lang's films come to mind first. Another film that The Serpent's Egg reminded me of was Bob Fosse's Cabaret - the theme of the Feast during the Time of Plague sounds very prominent in both films, and the cabaret's musical numbers in Bergman's film could've came from Fosse's. I was very impressed by Liv Ullmann's singing and dancing in the beginning of the film - she can do anything.

In spite of the film's obvious differences from Bergman's earlier work, it explores many of his favorite themes. It is in part a political film about the helpless, distressed and terrorized members of society that face the merciless and inevitable force of history and are perished without a trace in the process. Also like the earlier films, The Serpent's Egg explores its characters' self-isolation, inability to communicate, their attempt to cope with the pain of living, their despair, fear, and disintegration.

The Serpent's Egg may not be a perfect film and a lot has been said about the abrupt and heavy handed ending, the dialogs that don't always work, and David Carradine's performance as a main character. Perfect or not, I think it is an interesting, visually always amazing (cinematography by Sven Nykvist is above any praise) and very honest and thorough study of the human condition in the unbearable situation.

In the documentary 'Serpent's Egg: Away From Home' (2004), Ingmar Bergman, Liv Ullmann and David Carradine talk about making the film, how it started and how and why it was so different. Liv said that couple of years ago she and Bergman had seen The Serpent's Egg for the first time, and they both liked it. I am in a good company, then, because I believe that Serpent's Egg is an unforgettable film and everyone who was involved in making it should not be ashamed of it. I am yet to see a Bergman's film that I don't like.

The awful truth!.......2007-02-28

By unexplainable reasons, this film at least to my view was the most discrete film among the impressive cinematography of this Swedish master. The plot definitively doesn't fit according we usually expect from him. The main role featured by David Carradine is simply inconsistent. And if you consider the linearity of the script you will be negatively frustrated with the final result.

Because after having watched all the films of this notable director (one of my favorite ones),maybe this is the only default along the succesful career of Ingmar Bergman.

Children of a Darker God.......2006-10-30

The only thing I want to add to the many insightful comments of others is that this is one of the greatest horror films ever made. Yes, I know it doesn't have any of the stock supernatural props we associate with that genre, but it has the trapped-forever-in-a-nightmare atmosphere of the deepest nihilistic horror. It will haunt you.

Favorite moment: Protagonist is approached in the night by a prostitute:

Protagonist: "Go to Hell!"

(Prostitute, laughing): "Where do you think you are?"

Bergman's most underrated, and his creepiest film..........2006-08-11

This film usually gets terrible reviews. Many have said that it doesn't feel like a Bergman film (it's in English, and it was, at least for Bergman, an expensive production). Regardless, it is an incredibly dark, disturbing film, reminiscent of Pasolini's Salo. It's not sexually explicit like Pasolini's work is, but in terms of hopelessness and despair, it has much in common with Pasolini's film. Bergman called this his "horror" film, and I think he succeeds rather well. He handles English better here than in The Touch, an earlier English language film, and the performances are very good. The final 20 minutes are some of the most intense, troubling, and horrifying images committed to celluloid. A film filled with despair and hopelessness. If you like that sort of thing (as I sometimes do), watch this. If you like your films cheery and easy, stay away...

Average customer rating:

Not Bergman's best, but not a bad film overall
Is It Really The Master's Mistake?
The awful truth!
Children of a Darker God
Bergman's most underrated, and his creepiest film...

The Serpent's Egg
Starring: David Carradine , Liv Ullmann , Heinz Bennent , Hans Eichler , and Heino Hallhuber
Director: Ingmar Bergman
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00005NW4N

Customer Reviews:

Not Bergman's best, but not a bad film overall.......2007-06-24

Is It Really The Master's Mistake?.......2007-04-08

The awful truth!.......2007-02-28

Children of a Darker God.......2006-10-30

Bergman's most underrated, and his creepiest film..........2006-08-11

The The Ingmar Bergman Special Edition DVD Collection (Persona / Shame / Hour of the Wolf / The Passion of Anna / The Serpent's Egg)

Average customer rating:

The The Ingmar Bergman Special Edition DVD Collection (Persona / Shame / Hour of the Wolf / The Passion of Anna / The Serpent's Egg)

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
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A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman - Criterion Collection (Through a Glass Darkly/Winter Light/The Silence)

ASIN: B00092PU2W

Product Description

Available subtitles: English, Spanish, French Available Audio Tracks: Swedish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) Includes:Persona / Shame / Hour of the Wolf / The Passion of Anna / The Serpent's Egg Brand-new digital film transfers Commentary by Bergman biographer Marc Gervais on four of the films Commentary by David Carradine on The On-camera interviews with Liv Ullmann, Erland Josephson, and Bibi Andersson Featurettes: "The Search for Sanity," "Disintegration of Passion," "A Poem in Images," "Away from Home," "German Expressionism," and "The Search for Humanity" Elliott Gould reads The Passion of Anna (with photos) Photo galleries Original theatrical trailers

Average customer rating:

Not Bergman's best, but not a bad film overall
Is It Really The Master's Mistake?
The awful truth!
Children of a Darker God
Bergman's most underrated, and his creepiest film...

The Serpent's Egg [Region 2]
Starring: David Carradine , Liv Ullmann , Heinz Bennent , Hans Eichler , and Heino Hallhuber
Director: Ingmar Bergman
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Shame (Special Edition)
The Passion of Anna
Hour of the Wolf (Vargtimmen)
Persona
Autumn Sonata - Criterion Collection

ASIN: B0002ADWU8

Customer Reviews:

Not Bergman's best, but not a bad film overall.......2007-06-24

Is It Really The Master's Mistake?.......2007-04-08

The awful truth!.......2007-02-28

Children of a Darker God.......2006-10-30

Bergman's most underrated, and his creepiest film..........2006-08-11

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