Skammen (1968)

Sweden, 103m, B&W
Director: Ingmar Bergman; Cast: Liv Ullmann, Max von Sydow, Sigge Fürst, Gunnar Björnstrand, Ulf Johansson

Skammen, aka “Shame”  is an unusual war-based drama which contains little in the way of a plot beyond the actions of a complacent couple who attempt to ignore the advance of the war into their small corner of world. Despite the eventual presence of conflict at their doorstep, which has tragic consequences, the film is more about the superficiality of their relationship which is reflected and amplified by the events which are forced upon them. While the events of the war require that the couple acknowledge painful truths about their relationship, and perhaps those of the larger world, only Eva is able to cope with the new reality – while Jan falls further out of touch (Klaus Ming October 2010).