IMDb >
Ansiktet (1958)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at
blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
blockbuster.com
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsAnsiktet (1958) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 3 | slideshow) |
Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
27 August 1959 (USA) moreTagline:
Into the Nether-World! You'll Gasp At This Occult Hypnotic Experience Into the Supernatural! morePlot:
When 'Vogler's Magnetic Health Theater' comes to town, there's bound to be a spectacle. Reading reports... more | add synopsisAwards:
Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 1 nomination moreUser Comments:
a Bergman film that's not depressing or about death! moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Max von Sydow | ... | Albert Emanuel Vogler | |
| Ingrid Thulin | ... | Manda Vogler (alias Mr. Aman) | |
| Gunnar Björnstrand | ... | Dr. Vergerus, Minister of Health | |
| Naima Wifstrand | ... | Granny Vogler | |
| Bengt Ekerot | ... | Johan Spegel | |
| Bibi Andersson | ... | Sara Lindqvist | |
| Gertrud Fridh | ... | Ottilia Egerman | |
| Lars Ekborg | ... | Simson, the coach driver | |
| Toivo Pawlo | ... | Police Superintendant Starbeck | |
| Erland Josephson | ... | Consul Egerman | |
| Åke Fridell | ... | Tubal | |
| Sif Ruud | ... | Sofia Garp | |
| Oscar Ljung | ... | Antonsson, burly stableman | |
| Ulla Sjöblom | ... | Henrietta Starbeck | |
| Axel Düberg | ... | Rustan, young manservant |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
100 min | UK:107 minCountry:
SwedenLanguage:
SwedishColor:
Black and WhiteSound Mix:
AGA Sound SystemFilming Locations:
Djurgardsslaten 49-51, Skansen, Djurgården, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden moreFun Stuff
Trivia:
The character name Vergerus is one that recurs throughout Bergman's work and is generally associated with lack of emotion and heartlessness. moreQuotes:
Dr. Vergerus, Minister of Health: The whole evening I've been fighting an unexplainable liking for you and your husband.Manda Vogler: You surprise me.
Dr. Vergerus, Minister of Health: I took to you at once... your faces, your silence, your natural dignity. I would not admit it if I were not slightly drunk.
Manda Vogler: Then leave us alone.
Dr. Vergerus, Minister of Health: I can't. You represent what I detest most of all... the unexplainable.
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Ansiktet (1958)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| The Face or The Magician | kurosawa176 |
| Janus Films 35MM Print KC | MudFlapp |
| HELP!!! | MudFlapp |
| 'Vergerus' | cruzlee |
| intentional error in the ending? | heptaparaparshinokh |
| english subtitles | dianav |
Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Fanny och Alexander | Gycklarnas afton | Smultronstället | Tystnaden | A Canterbury Tale |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| IMDb Drama section | IMDb Sweden section | Add this title to MyMovies |




I've seen a lot of Ingmar Bergman films and sometimes I don't want to see one of his films about death or mental illness. Well, starting in the 1960s to the 1980s, these were the main themes of his movies, but in some of his earlier films, these are not so pervasive--such as the movies The Devil's Eye (a comedy) and The Magician ("Ansiktet"). Because of this, they may be more approachable to the average viewer who would balk at the much more serious tone of such classics as Through a Glass Darkly (deep depression), Persona (mental illness), Autumn Sonata (repressed anger and abandonment), The Seventh Seal (death and the plague) or Fanny and Alexander (child abuse and emotional neglect).
The story is about a traveling group of hoaxters who put on a show combining magic and "animal magnetism" (i.e., an early name given to hypnosis). When they arrive at a Swedish town, they are forced to come to an audience with the local official and his cronies who want to prove that the act is a fraud. Bergman really doesn't try to resolve this issue, but instead shows how the town officials are really rather petty and mean people. How this traveling group deftly survives this encounter is the main focus of the movie. I especially liked the portion of the movie about the autopsy. It sounds gross, but I thought it was actually kind of funny. One of the officials is a cold and rather nasty doctor who longs for a chance to do an autopsy on the hypnotist. He gets far more than he bargains for--that's all I really want to say--otherwise it might ruin the suspense.
So, overall I liked the movie. It was not great but well acted and not the least bit depressing.