Yet another terrific film from the Swedish master. I'm quickly coming to the conlusion that the late 60s/early 70s was his best period.
Anyway, the film. Max Von Sydow (the priest in The Exorcist) and Liv Ullman play a married couple who are living literally, in the middle of a war zone. After the war is over they are arrested as collaborators and beaten up. They later return to their home only to have to leave at the end of the film (i'm not going to say why here).
The Shame of the title is ostensibly one of dessertion but i think it runs deeper than that. It's the shame of the couple for not exploring their issues, for not talking enough, and for letting things simmer under the surfcae until the problems become uncontrollable.
The film contains the usual visual brilliance from Sven Nykvist who has composed some stunning lighting schemas and whose use of hand held cameras adds an unexpected realism to this film that works brilliantly.
Another stunning film all round really, witha surprising amount of action, given that it's a Bergman film.
9/10
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