I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

The Silence is going to be an acquired taste- true of a lot of Ingmar Bergman's films- but if you know what to expect then I think you will be rewarded. I can understand definitely why some may not like The Silence, the plot is light, has moments of (purposeful) obscurity and is quite detached emotionally. But I wouldn't immediately go and "objectively" hate on it because it didn't entertain you, it is clear from the title, the plot summary and also from Bergman's other films that The Silence wasn't going to be that kind of film. Bergman's films are more of the thoughtful and compellingly real kind, and The Silence is exactly that, and of Bergman's early work and overall it is one of the better examples of doing that as well. Quite possibly my favourite of his "religious" trilogy, and all three are wonderful films in their own right. As ever it is superbly directed, and looks incredible with Sven Nykvist's haunting cinematography adding much to the tonal bleakness of the film. Apart from the odd moment where music is played, there is no score here which made the increasingly deafening silence even more effective. The dialogue is thought-provoking and intelligent, and while bleak and obscure the atmosphere in The Silence is largely symbolic and also enigmatic and very powerful. The themes of loneliness and objective desire with a want of emotional warmth and tenderness are thoroughly explored here and does resonate with you. Bergman's films are known for how real the characters are, and The Silence is no exception. Likable, no they aren't, but not all characters have to be to have the realism that the ones seen in Bergman's films do. I can't fault the acting either, Ingrid Thulin is just outstanding in the lead role. Overall, still packs a powerful touch but isn't going to be for everyone. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Ingmar Bergman made a trilogy, according to critics, later Bergman himself, and still later the Criterion Collection. The Silence (1963) is supposedly the last chapter of this trilogy which also includes Through a Glass Darkly (1961) and Winter Light (1963). They're all good films, but I question The Silence being linked with the others. It's possible to read The Silence as not having any particular relation to God, and there seems to be no direct reference to the Spider-God mentioned in the other two films and depicted on the Criterion DVD cover.Trilogy or no trilogy, The Silence is another solid film from Bergman. At first I found it kind of dull, as the two sisters Anna and Ester live with Anna's son Johan, with Ester being seriously ill. Not much seems to be happening to start with, there isn't much talking, and it seems a little strange when Johan goes into a room with several little people. At times it caught my attention with some open sexuality- the nudity (not quite as spectacular in black and white), the female masturbation, the sex in public. At any rate, the film eventually began to work for me, particularly with its conflict between the two sisters and the hints of lesbian incest. Anna is a sexual being, and her relationship with a strange man seems to be tearing Ester apart. With time, this film builds up undeniable atmosphere that ultimately wins me over. More people should see this film.

Two emotionally estranged sisters, Ester and Anna, travel by train through desolate countryside.Anna's son Johan travels with them.They stop at a hotel in some Central European country, where there is a war going on.The elder sister, literary translator Ester, is taken seriously ill.The boy wanders around the hallways of the hotel, where he meets a group of Spanish midgets.Anna ventures in the city, having a one-night-stand with a stranger.The Silence is an Ingmar Bergman film from 1963.It stars Ingrid Thulin and Gunnel Lindblom as Ester and Anna, and they both are fantastic.Jörgen Lindström is terrific as Johan.Birger Malmsten as The Bartender is brilliant.Håkan Jahnberg is great as The Waiter.The movie belongs to Bergman's Trilogy of Faith , and it's the last one.There are many memorable scenes, like when Anna is in a theater and a couple starts making love.And it's pretty amazing to watch the interaction between the two siblings.Bergman was known of making these challenging films, that may not open up totally after first viewing, if ever.And this is a pretty challenging film, using more silence instead of actual words.

Ingmar Bergman started his career by making social films in 1950's. Even that the themes were big and universal, the films had a lot of personality. But in early 1960's Bergman moved to an even closer, more personal subject when he started to make his Faith Trilogy (Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light and The Silence). In these films Bergman researches the faith and disbelief in people. He grew up in a catholic family, but is an atheist or at least an agnostic himself. In the Faith Trilogy he studies, and shows us how religion, concept of God, the Bible - Christianity, have affected our own moral standards.As the title say the film is very silent, a very quiet film and this reinforces the intensity of it. The Silence is a story about two estranged sisters, staying the night in a strange town. People in the town speak a weird language, which reminds one of Estonian language. The mood in the city is dreamy, thrilling and perhaps threatening. The other sister has a young son, who spends his days wandering in the hotel corridors. The older sister drowns her loneliness in alcohol and the younger in sex.Ingmar Bergman's production is fascinating, mostly because he tried so many different things - but never letting his own unique style alone. The Silence is a very silent film, which narrative is based on gestures, facial expressions - cinematography. But his TV-series, which is also a film, Scenes From a Marriage is strongly about the dialog. It's full of long, slow-paced sequences filled with dialog and that's what makes it so great. Many see The Seventh Seal and Fanny and Alexander as his best films, but I myself prefer the Faith Trilogy, it's very artistic, dark, meaningful and challenging. I wouldn't like to put them in order, but I must say that The Silence is the most mature, intelligent and challenging of them. Even if one doesn't understand everything in it, something makes one come back to these film. The same is with all European masters who challenged their audiences, Federico Fellini, Jean Luc Godard and Krzysztof Kieslowski.The Silence felt like a very personal film, but its subject is universal. Just as with many films by Kieslowski in this the subject is hidden below the surface. One might wonder: "What does this have to do with God or religion?" But if you're used to artistic films or just pay attention you'll see it. One has to give oneself to the film. Cinematic art at its finest, a masterpiece.