Overview
In the midst of chaos, love and survival intertwine on a secluded island.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- bleak
- harrowing
- austere
- serious film study
- arthouse cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Bergman's film as a powerful, beautifully photographed anti-war vision, especially praising its emotional force and central performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Eva and Jan's isolated farm and marriage are progressively destroyed as the civil war reaches them.
Jan changes from a sensitive, apolitical musician into a violent and murderous fugitive.
The rural island, dead neighbors, military intimidation, and chaotic flight are rendered in an arid, severe style.
The conflict between Eva's desire for children and Jan's reluctance is intensified by the civil war's assault on their shared refuge.
Films like Shame, and why
The Sacrifice
bleak anti-war drama using domestic relationships to expose psychological devastation and moral collapse
The Ascent
European art cinema portraying civilians trapped in war, with intimate human suffering and spiritual desolation
The Night of the Generals
anti-war drama centered on a couple's relationship under extreme political violence and ethical pressure
Winter Light
austere, psychologically intense Bergman drama about emotional breakdown and existential despair
Movie Details
- Director
- Ingmar Bergman
- Release Date
- 1968-09-29
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (247)
Cast
- Liv Ullmann
- Max von Sydow
- Sigge Fürst
- Gunnar Björnstrand
- Birgitta Valberg
- Hans Alfredson
- Ingvar Kjellson
- Frank Sundström
- Vilgot Sjöman
- Bengt Eklund
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Shame about?
- On a remote island, an apolitical musician couple watch their fragile marriage and moral identities collapse as civil war invades their refuge.
- What is Shame like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Shame as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Shame violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Shame as graphic.
- What did critics think of Shame?
- Critics broadly regard Bergman's film as a powerful, beautifully photographed anti-war vision, especially praising its emotional force and central performances.
- Which films are like Shame?
- Films with a similar feel include The Sacrifice, The Ascent, The Night of the Generals, and Winter Light.
- How long is Shame?
- Shame runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch Shame?
- In United States, Shame streams on Criterion Channel.
