The Serpent’s Egg Movie Download

5 / 10

One of Bergman’s lesser films…
I say this with a heavy heart as I love Bergman and his films, but while it has good points and it is at least better than All These Women The Serpent’s Egg didn’t do it for me. It is an incredibly well made film, I cannot deny that, Sven Nykvist’s cinematography is wonderful and adds so much to the atmosphere. The scenery is similarly evocative. On top of that, the opening sequence is a brilliant one and promises so much, Liv Ullman shows once more why she was and is one of Sweden’s finest actresses and Heinz Bennett makes for an effectively sinister villain without it being too stereotypical.

The Serpent’s Egg however is while quite different and interesting a disappointment, especially considering that we are talking about one of cinema’s greatest directors here. Bergman does seem out of his depth, introducing some interesting ideas but not developing them enough and there are not enough I feel of his distinctive trademarks. The story is rather convoluted with an ending that comes across as rather heavy-handed, some intriguing ideas that come across as half-baked and a brothel scene that is among my least favourite scenes ever in a Bergman film. The dialogue is rambling and banal and David Carradine’s performance is overwrought and stiff on the whole.

All in all, has its good and fascinating moments but one of Bergman’s lesser films. 5/10 Bethany CoxRead More