Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- oppressive
- paranoid
- bleak
- arthouse film night
- historical cinema evening
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as an incoherent and overly solemn historical thriller whose suffering lacks dramatic shape or substance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film places its mystery amid Berlin's inflation, antisemitism, and social collapse in November 1923.
Abel suspects Inspector Bauer's inquiry is turning him into a scapegoat because he is Jewish.
The film uses artsy pseudo-newsreel footage and solemn narration to depict the emerging social menace.
Abel's bereavement and alcoholism unfold alongside mysterious deaths and rising hatred of Jewish people.
Films like The Serpent's Egg, and why
The Pawnbroker
psychological historical drama, political paranoia, and oppressive atmosphere
The Conformist
period mystery, antisemitism, and mounting institutional menace
Europa
dark European historical thriller centered on persecution and moral dread
Movie Details
- Director
- Ingmar Bergman
- Release Date
- 1977-10-28
- Runtime
- 120 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (130)
Cast
- David Carradine
- Liv Ullmann
- Gert Fröbe
- Heinz Bennent
- Toni Berger
- Christian Berkel
- Paula Braend
- Erna Brünell
- Paul Bürks
- Gaby Dohm
Common questions
- What is The Serpent's Egg about?
- In inflation-ravaged 1923 Berlin, a grieving Jewish circus performer is drawn into a lethal mystery shaped by antisemitic paranoia and social collapse.
- What is The Serpent's Egg like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Serpent's Egg as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Serpent's Egg violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Serpent's Egg as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Serpent's Egg?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as an incoherent and overly solemn historical thriller whose suffering lacks dramatic shape or substance.
- Which films are like The Serpent's Egg?
- Films with a similar feel include The Pawnbroker, The Conformist, and Europa.
- How long is The Serpent's Egg?
- The Serpent's Egg runs 120 minutes.
