WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Isbel A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

gizmomogwai 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.

ZenShark This is an excellent film which in my mind handles the dual nature of man: the sensual and the rational. The story is told through the eyes of a small boy, who is innocent and his perspective is yet untainted by either of his sides. He is still curious about the world around him, and holds no preconceived notions. There are two women with him, sisters, one is his mother and the other is the mother's sister. One woman represents the sensual side of man, and the other the rational, and the movie is a journey of the mind to find peace within it self torn between these contrasting sides. absolutely fantastic film, the kind they don't make any more.

Claudio Carvalho While traveling back home by train, Anna (Gunnel Lindblom), her son Johan (Jörgen Lindström) and her sister Ester (Ingrid Thulin) that is very ill have to stop in a foreign country in Timoka City and checking- in a hotel until Ester recovers from a crisis of her illness. Ester is a translator but she does not speak the language, therefore they need to communicate by gestures with the locals. Ester is cult and controller and Anna is still attractive and very promiscuous. They are emotionally separated and without any sibling's feelings; therefore each sister just speaks to hurt the other while Johan wanders in the empty corridors of the hotel. "Tystnaden" is a film about lack of connection and communication that in certain moments seems to be a silent movie. There are very few, but sharp and ambiguous, dialogs between the two sisters and it is not clear whether they had an incestuous relationship in the past and the weird way that Anna treats her son, sleeping naked in the bed with him or asking him to soap her back (at least, for non-Swedish viewer). The performances are awesome as usual in a Bergman's film, with wonderful black-and-white cinematography, use of shadows and camera work. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "O Silêncio" ("The Silence")

Chrysanthepop Bergman's 'Tystnaden' is not a comfortable film to watch because of its underlying dark and disturbing theme. He explores the devastating consequence of an incestuous relationship between two sisters, Ester and Anna. The destruction seems to have taken a toll on Esther's health while Anna seems to be mentally and emotionally shattered (unable to connect to others and engaging in casual sex). Amidst this is Anna's son Johan, who, like any curious child, is exploring his own world.Bergman's film starts off with the three principle characters in the train and then ends with Anna and Johan in a train as they have left Ester behind. Perhaps this last scene symbolizes Anna's escape from her traumatic experience. Bergman uses a lot of symbolism but he doesn't spoonfeed them to the viewer. It is all there in his subtle presentation. He also stresses on contrasts between different ideas such as Johan's youthful innocence (his way of seeing the world) vs the confused world interpreted by his mother and aunt. His display of the relationship between the two sisters is brilliant. A strong maternal bond is displayed in the relationship between the mother and child. It may seem as though her son is the only one with whom Anna has a stable relationship but at the same time she goes wandering off in the city leaving her child behind in the hotel. Even as a mother she is broken by the trauma. The movie has many silent moments (quite obviously given the title) but the contrast between these moments are noticeable because it is quite unsettling as the rawness of the tension is exposed. Ingrid Thulin, Gunnel Lindblom and Jörgen Lindström are stupendous in their roles as they portray the complexity of the relationships through subtlety. The cinematography is outstanding. The closeups are particularly haunting. I was surprised by the amount of nudity and sexuality (I have nothing against it) but then again, this is no conventional 60's film. It is a brave and poignant film that was ahead of its time.