Jump to content
Main menu
Main menu
move to sidebar
hide
Navigation
Main page
Recent changes
Random page
Help about MediaWiki
Special pages
Niidae Wiki
Search
Search
Appearance
Create account
Log in
Personal tools
Create account
Log in
Pages for logged out editors
learn more
Contributions
Talk
Editing
Cries and Whispers
(section)
Page
Discussion
English
Read
Edit
View history
Tools
Tools
move to sidebar
hide
Actions
Read
Edit
View history
General
What links here
Related changes
Page information
Appearance
move to sidebar
hide
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
==Reception== ===Critical reception=== Before the film's release, estimations of Bergman were lowered by ''[[The Rite (1969 film)|The Rite]]'' (1969) and ''[[The Touch (1971 film)|The Touch]]'' (1971).<ref name="Parkinson"/> In Sweden, ''[[Svenska Dagbladet]]'' critic Åke Janzon and ''[[Dagens Nyheter]]'' critic Hanserik Hjerten assessed ''Cries and Whispers'' as a poetically-rendered psychological study.{{sfn|Steene|2005|p=300}} Critic O. Foss wrote a less-positive review in ''Fant'', calling it "a rhapsody of petrified Bergman themes".{{sfn|Steene|2005|p=300}} The Swedish cultural magazine ''[[Ord och Bild]]'' considered the film as Bergman’s personal view on women and argued that the film was both static and ahistorical.<ref>{{cite book|page=46 |author=Michael Tapper|title=Ingmar Bergman's Face to Face|year=2017|publisher=Wallflower Press|location=London; New York|doi=10.7312/tapp17652 |isbn=9780231851213 |url=https://doi.org/10.7312/tapp17652}}</ref> The film was generally praised in the United States.{{sfn|Steene|2005|p=300}} In ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[Vincent Canby]] called it a "magnificent, moving, and very mysterious new film".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF1731E260BC4A51DFB4678389669EDE |title=Cries and Whispers |last=Canby |first=Vincent |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=22 December 1972 |access-date=12 November 2017|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113165316/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF1731E260BC4A51DFB4678389669EDE |archive-date=13 November 2017}}</ref> He included the film in his list of the ''10 Best Films of 1972''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Critic's Choice-10 Best Films of '72|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/12/31/archives/critics-choice-ten-best-films-of-72-critics-choice-ten-best-of-72.html|website=New York Times|date=31 December 1972}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] gave ''Cries and Whispers'' four stars (out of four) in his initial review: "We slip lower in our seats, feeling claustrophobia and sexual disquiet, realizing that we have been surrounded by the vision of a film maker who has absolute mastery of his art".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cries-and-whispers-1973 |title=Cries and Whispers Movie Review (1973) |last=Ebert |first=Roger |publisher=RogerEbert.com |date=12 February 1973 |access-date=21 February 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222111055/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cries-and-whispers-1973 |archive-date=22 February 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> and named it "the best film of 1973".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041215/COMMENTARY/41215001/1023 |work=Chicago Sun-Times |title=Ebert's 10 Best Lists: 1967–present |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060908200137/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20041215%2FCOMMENTARY%2F41215001%2F1023 |archive-date=September 8, 2006 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' staff praised the direction for "a hypnotic impact".<ref name="Variety">{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/1972/film/reviews/viskningar-och-rop-1200422883/ |title=Viskningar Och Rop |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |last=Staff |date=31 December 1972 |access-date=15 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116134540/http://variety.com/1972/film/reviews/viskningar-och-rop-1200422883/ |archive-date=16 November 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'', [[Judith Crist]] called it "a work of genius— certainly the most complex, the most perceptive and the most humane of Bergman's works to date".<ref>{{cite magazine| title=In the Right Direction |magazine=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |last=Crist |first=Judith |date=8 January 1973 |volume=6 |number=2 |page=65}}</ref> [[François Truffaut]] made a theatrical comparison, saying that the film "begins like [[Anton Chekhov|Chekhov]]'s ''[[Three Sisters (play)|Three Sisters]]'' and ends like ''[[The Cherry Orchard]]'' and in between it's more like [[August Strindberg|Strindberg]]".{{sfn|Truffaut|1985|p=257}} ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' critic David Parkinson gave ''Cries and Whispers'' five stars in 2000, writing that the film fit a subset of "character study" at which Bergman was adept.<ref name="Parkinson">{{cite web |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/cries-whispers/review/ |title=Cries and Whispers Review |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |last=Parkinson |first=David |date=1 January 2000 |access-date=15 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116141459/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/cries-whispers/review/ |archive-date=16 November 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Reviewing the DVD in ''[[The New Yorker]]'', Richard Brody said that despite its period setting, the emotional drama resonated with modern audiences.<ref name="Brody">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/dvd-of-the-week-cries-and-whispers |title=DVD of the Week: Cries and Whispers |last=Brody |first=Richard |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |access-date=15 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116133023/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/dvd-of-the-week-cries-and-whispers |archive-date=16 November 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Ebert added it to his "[[The Great Movies|Great Movies]]" list in 2002, writing that to watch the film "is to touch the extremes of human feeling. It is so personal, so penetrating of privacy, we almost want to look away".<ref name="rogerebert.suntimes.com"/> That year, [[James Berardinelli]] praised Andersson's performance as "so powerful that we feel like intruders watching it. She screams, whimpers, begs, and cries. She craves death and fears it". Berardinelli considered Bergman's use of [[crimson]] effective in creating [[mood (literature)|mood]]; the "natural associations one makes with this color, especially in a story like this, are of sin and blood".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://preview.reelviews.net/movies/c/cries_whispers.html |title=Cries and Whispers |last=Berardinelli |first=James |publisher=Reelviews.net |date=2002 |access-date=1 April 2017}}</ref> Zendry Svärdkrona's 2003 ''[[Aftonbladet]]'' review called it a masterpiece with wonderful aesthetics but unpleasant subject matter, citing Nykvist and Andersson.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/tv/article10391227.ab |title=Filmtips 30 augusti |last=Svärdkrona |first=Zendry |work=[[Aftonbladet]] |language=sv |date=29 August 2003 |access-date=22 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122184308/https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/tv/article10391227.ab |archive-date=22 November 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> [[Emanuel Levy]] praised the film's cinematography and the performances of the female leads, calling the result a masterpiece in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://emanuellevy.com/review/cries-and-whispers-1973-masterpieces-of-world-cinema-5/ |title=Cries and Whispers (1973): Bergman's Masterful Chronicle of Pain and Death |last=Levy |first=Emanuel |publisher=[[Emanuel Levy|Emanuellevy.com]] |date=4 February 2008 |access-date=21 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202075434/http://emanuellevy.com/review/cries-and-whispers-1973-masterpieces-of-world-cinema-5/ |archive-date=2 December 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> ''Cries and Whispers'' ranked 154th in the [[British Film Institute]]'s 2012 ''[[Sight & Sound]]'' critics' poll of the greatest films ever made.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b9f3ba7/sightandsoundpoll2012 |title=Votes for Viskningar Och Rop (1972) |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=21 February 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222112423/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b9f3ba7/sightandsoundpoll2012|archive-date=22 February 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref> [[Leonard Maltin]] gave the film three stars in his ''2014 Movie Guide'', praising its visuals but cautioning viewers about the large amount of dialogue.{{sfn|Maltin|2013}} Reviewing the Blu-ray in 2015, ''[[SF Gate]]'' critic Mick LaSalle called ''Cries and Whispers'' a "masterpiece" in which the colour red had an important effect.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Blu-ray-review-Cries-and-Whispers-6217865.php |title=Blu-ray review: 'Cries and Whispers' |work=[[SF Gate]] |last=LaSalle |first=Mick |date=22 April 2015 |access-date=21 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042032/http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Blu-ray-review-Cries-and-Whispers-6217865.php |archive-date=1 December 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' critic Andy Klein placed the film "solidly in the existential/emotional angst mode of [Bergman's] best work", called it a triumphant comeback from ''The Touch'', and joked about the resurrection scene: "Yes, technically this is a [[zombie film]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/tn-gnp-dvd-review-bergmans-angst-cries-on-bluray-20150403-story.html |title=DVD Review: Bergman's angst 'Cries' on Blu-ray |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |last=Klein |first=Andy |date=3 April 2015 |access-date=21 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122031120/http://www.latimes.com/tn-gnp-dvd-review-bergmans-angst-cries-on-bluray-20150403-story.html |archive-date=22 November 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> [[Peter Bradshaw]] of [[The Guardian]] gave the film five stars out of five writing "This film burns, like ice held to the skin."<ref>{{cite web|title=Cries and Whispers review-Ingmar Bergman's diabolically inspired claustrophobic horror|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/mar/31/cries-and-whispers-review-ingmar-bergman-horror|website=[[The Guardian]]|date=31 March 2022}}</ref> Don Druker wrote a negative review in the ''[[Chicago Reader]]'', criticising a lack of substance,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/cries-and-whispers/Film?oid=1073042 |title=Cries and Whispers |work=[[The Chicago Reader]] |last=Druker |first=Don |date=7 January 1985 |access-date=15 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116134230/https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/cries-and-whispers/Film?oid=1073042 |archive-date=16 November 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> and ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]''{{'}}s review called the film a "[[red herring]]" compared to Bergman's purer [[psychological drama]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/film/cries-and-whispers |title=Cries and Whispers |work=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]] |author=VG |date=10 September 2012 |access-date=21 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122023249/https://www.timeout.com/london/film/cries-and-whispers |archive-date=22 November 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> On the review aggregator website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''Cries and Whispers'' has an approval rating of 91% based on 34 reviews, with an average score of 8.50/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Visually stunning and achingly performed, Ingmar Bergman's chamber piece is a visceral rumination on death and sisterhood."<ref>{{cite web|title=Cries and Whispers|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cries_and_whispers|website=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref> The February 2020 issue of ''[[New York Magazine]]'' lists ''Cries and Whispers'' as among "The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars."<ref>{{cite news|title=The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-oscar-best-picture-losers.html|magazine=[[New York Magazine]]|access-date=March 17, 2025}}</ref> ===Accolades=== ''Cries and Whispers'' won three categories at the [[9th Guldbagge Awards]] in Sweden, including [[Guldbagge Award for Best Film|Best Film]].<ref name="9thGuldbagge">{{cite web |url=http://www.sfi.se/en-GB/Swedish-film-database/Item/?type=MOVIE&itemid=4905&iv=Awards |title=Viskningar och rop (1973) |publisher=[[Swedish Film Institute]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119031755/http://www.sfi.se/en-GB/Swedish-film-database/Item/?type=MOVIE&itemid=4905&iv=Awards |date=2 March 2014 |archive-date=19 January 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> At Cannes, it won the [[Vulcan Award#Technical Grand Prize (1951-2001)|Technical Grand Prize]].<ref name="Cannes">{{cite web|url=http://www.cst.fr/spip.php?article49|title=Le Prix Vulcain de l'Artiste Technicien|publisher=Commission supérieure technique de l'image et du son|language=fr|access-date=14 November 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081112210748/http://cst.fr/spip.php?article49|archive-date=12 November 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref> It was the fourth foreign-language film ever nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Picture]],{{efn|name="Oscar"|''Cries and Whispers'' was the fourth foreign-language film in Academy history to receive this nomination, after ''[[La Grande Illusion|Grand Illusion]]'', ''[[Z (1969 film)|Z]]'', and ''[[The Emigrants (film)|The Emigrants]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://emanuellevy.com/oscar/oscar-history-foreign-language-films-as-best-picture-nominees-1/ |title=Oscar: Foreign Language Films as Best Picture Nominees |last=Levy |first=Emanuel |publisher=Emanuellevy.com |date=25 July 2006 |access-date=13 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113235036/http://emanuellevy.com/oscar/oscar-history-foreign-language-films-as-best-picture-nominees-1/ |archive-date=13 November 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> }} in addition to four other nominations at the [[46th Academy Awards]]; [[Sven Nykvist]] won for [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]].<ref name="Oscar">{{cite web |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1974 |title=The 46th Academy Awards |date=4 October 2014 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=12 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002003312/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1974 |archive-date=2 October 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The film was nominated for, and won, several other awards from critics' associations and festivals. At the [[27th British Academy Film Awards]], [[Sven Nykvist]] was nominated for [[BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] and Ingrid Thulin for [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role|Best Supporting Actress]];<ref name="BAFTAAward"/> at the [[30th Golden Globe Awards]], it was nominated for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]].<ref name="GoldenGlobe"/> {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |- ! scope="col"| Award ! scope="col"| Date of ceremony ! scope="col"| Category ! scope="col"| Recipient(s) ! scope="col"| Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}} |- !scope="row" rowspan=5| [[Academy Awards]] | rowspan="5" | [[46th Academy Awards|2 April 1974]] | [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] | rowspan="3" | [[Ingmar Bergman]] | {{nom}} | rowspan="5" | <ref name="Oscar"/> |- | [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] | {{nom}} |- | [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]] | {{nom}} |- | [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] | [[Sven Nykvist]] | {{won}} |- | [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]] | [[Marik Vos-Lundh|Marik Vos]] | {{nom}} |- !scope="row" | [[Bodil Awards]] | rowspan="1" | 1974 | [[Bodil Award for Best Non-American Film|Best European Film]] | rowspan="1" | Ingmar Bergman | {{won}} | rowspan="1" | <ref name="9thGuldbagge"/> |- !scope="row" rowspan=2| [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA Awards]] | rowspan="2" | [[27th British Academy Film Awards|1974]] | [[BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] | Sven Nykvist | {{nom}} | rowspan="2" | <ref name="BAFTAAward">{{Cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1974/film?|title=Film in 1974|access-date=12 November 2017|publisher=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113113647/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1974/film|archive-date=13 November 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref> |- | [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role|Best Supporting Actress]] | [[Ingrid Thulin]] | {{nom}} |- !scope="row" | [[Cannes Film Festival]] | rowspan="1" | [[1973 Cannes Film Festival|10–25 May 1973]] | [[Vulcan Award#Technical Grand Prize (1951-2001)|Vulcan Technical Grand Prize]] | rowspan="2" | Ingmar Bergman | {{won}} | rowspan="1" | <ref name="Cannes"/> |- !scope="row" rowspan=5| [[David di Donatello]] | rowspan="5" | 1973 | [[David di Donatello for Best Foreign Director|Best Foreign Director]] | {{won}} | rowspan="1" | <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://physics.gac.edu/~psaul/Library/videodetails/video349.htm |title=Cries and Whispers |access-date=17 November 2017 |publisher=[[Gustavus Adolphus College]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171118030621/http://physics.gac.edu/~psaul/Library/videodetails/video349.htm |archive-date=18 November 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> |- | rowspan="4" | Special David | [[Harriet Andersson]] | {{won}} | rowspan="4" | {{sfn|Lancia|1998|p=258}} |- | Ingrid Thulin | {{won}} |- | [[Liv Ullmann]] | {{won}} |- | [[Kari Sylwan]] | {{won}} |- !scope="row" | [[Golden Globe Award|Golden Globes]] | rowspan="1" | [[30th Golden Globe Awards|28 January 1973]] | [[Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]] | rowspan="2" | Ingmar Bergman | {{nom}} | rowspan="1" | <ref name="GoldenGlobe">{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/cries-and-whispers|title=Cries and Whispers|access-date=12 November 2017|publisher=[[Hollywood Foreign Press Association]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113054256/https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/cries-and-whispers|archive-date=13 November 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref> |- !scope="row" rowspan=3| [[Guldbagge Awards]] | rowspan="3" | [[9th Guldbagge Awards|29 October 1973]] | [[Guldbagge Award for Best Film|Best Film]] | {{won}} | rowspan="3" | <ref name="9thGuldbagge"/> |- | [[Guldbagge Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] | Harriet Andersson | {{won}} |- | Special Achievemnent | Sven Nykvist | {{won}} |- !scope="row" | [[Jussi Awards]] | rowspan="1" | 1975 | Best Foreign Director | rowspan="6" | Ingmar Bergman | {{won}} | rowspan="1" | <ref name="9thGuldbagge"/> |- !scope="row" | [[Nastro d'Argento]] | rowspan="1" | 1974 | Best Foreign Film | {{won}} | rowspan="1" | <ref name="9thGuldbagge"/> |- !scope="row" rowspan=3| [[National Board of Review]] | rowspan="3" | [[National Board of Review Awards 1973|24 December 1973]] | [[National Board of Review Award for Best Director|Best Director]] | {{won}} | rowspan="3" | <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1973/ |title=1973 Award Winners |access-date=12 November 2017 |publisher=[[National Board of Review]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170603132410/http://www.nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1973/ |archive-date=3 June 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> |- | [[National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]] | {{won}} |- | Top Foreign Films | {{won}} |- !scope="row" rowspan=2| [[National Society of Film Critics]] | rowspan="2" | [[National Society of Film Critics Awards 1972|29 December 1972]] | [[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]] | {{won}} | rowspan="2" | <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://nationalsocietyoffilmcritics.com/about-2/ |title=Past Awards |date=19 December 2009 |access-date=12 November 2017 |publisher=[[National Society of Film Critics]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729100021/https://nationalsocietyoffilmcritics.com/about-2/ |archive-date=29 July 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> |- | [[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] | Sven Nykvist | {{won}} |- !scope="row" rowspan=4| [[New York Film Critics Circle]] | rowspan="4" | [[1972 New York Film Critics Circle Awards|3 January 1973]] | [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film|Best Film]] | rowspan="3" | Ingmar Bergman | {{won}} | rowspan="4" | <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nyfcc.com/awards/?awardyear=1972 |title=1972 Awards |access-date=12 November 2017 |publisher=[[New York Film Critics Circle]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113113900/http://www.nyfcc.com/awards/?awardyear=1972 |archive-date=13 November 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> |- | [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director|Best Director]] | {{won}} |- | [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]] | {{won}} |- | [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] | Liv Ullmann | {{won}} |- |}
Summary:
Please note that all contributions to Niidae Wiki may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here.
You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see
Encyclopedia:Copyrights
for details).
Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Search
Search
Editing
Cries and Whispers
(section)
Add topic