Il segno

Harrowing and sad, this drama made for TV focuses on the tragically dysfunctional marriage of Viveka and Sune. Viveka is slowly going ever more insane, with paranoid and often religiously based delusions driving her further and further from reality. Meanwhile, her husband Sune is pathetically co-dependent, and unwilling to force Viveka into treatment, or even really challenge her misguided view of reality, choosing instead to play along, hoping to ease her panic and rage, but only feeding it. Eventually it becomes unclear if Per is starting to share her delusions as well.

Per Myberg and Harriet Andersson give superlative performances in this blacker than black piece, which also has moments of incredibly dark humor mixed in as well. In a career of questioning whether life has any meaning, I don't know if Bergman ever went further into the abyss.

Occasionally it will hit a false note, or feel theatrical in concept or execution, and the writing isn't always as strong as the greatest of Bergman's films (he didn't write the screenplay). But it certainly is worthy of being seen by anyone interested in Bergman's work, or in great acting, and it's a shame that finding it is so nearly impossible.