''The Serpent's Egg'' is a 1977

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

written and directed by

Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film and theatre director and screenwriter. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential film directors of all time, his films have been described as "profoun ...

and starring

David Carradine David Carradine ( ; born John Arthur Carradine Jr.; December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009) was an American actor, director, and producer, whose career included over 200 major and minor roles in film, television and on stage. He was widely known ...

and

Liv Ullmann Liv Johanne Ullmann (born 16 December 1938) is a Norwegian actress and filmmaker. Recognised as one of the greatest European actresses of all time, Ullmann is known as the muse and frequent collaborator of filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, whom she date ...

. The story is set in

1920s Berlin The Golden Twenties was a particular vibrant period in the history of Berlin. After the Greater Berlin Act, the city became the third largest municipality in the world and experienced its heyday as a major world city. It was known for its leade ...

and features English and German dialogue. It was Bergman's only

Hollywood film The cinema of the United States, primarily associated with major film studios collectively referred to as Hollywood, has significantly influenced the global film industry since the early 20th century. Classical Hollywood cinema, a filmmakin ...

. The title is taken from a line spoken by

Brutus Marcus Junius Brutus (; ; 85 BC – 23 October 42 BC) was a Roman politician, orator, and the most famous of the assassins of Julius Caesar. After being adopted by a relative, he used the name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, which was reta ...

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

'': "And therefore think him as a serpent's egg / Which hatch'd, would as his kind grow mischievous; / And kill him in the shell". Even though the film was a critical and commercial failure upon its initial release, Bergman was reported to be happy with the film.

Plot

In late 1923

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, Abel Rosenberg, an unemployed alcoholic and former

trapeze A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes, metal straps, or chains, from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or ...

artist, struggles to cope with the hardships of

post-war Germany A post-war or postwar period is the interval immediately following the end of a war. The term usually refers to a varying period of time after World War II, which ended in 1945. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum, w ...

. After discovering his brother Max's suicide, Abel is offered money by his old boss to come back to the circus. However, he declines the offer, feeling that he won't be as good without his brother. Abel meets Max's wife, Manuela, to break the news of his death. Unable to provide a clear reason for Max's suicide, Abel only recalls a sentence from Max's note mentioning "poisoning." Seeking solace in alcohol, Abel goes on a drinking binge and spends the night at Manuela's house. They discuss Abel's future career prospects, but when Manuela leaves for work, Abel steals from her to buy more alcohol. Later, Abel is taken by the police to identify several bodies, all of which were found near his home. Suspicion falls on Abel, and he attempts to escape but is recaptured. Manuela visits Abel in the hospital, revealing that all her money is gone. Abel is released due to lack of evidence and returns home with Manuela. However, they face

eviction Eviction is the removal of a Tenement (law), tenant from leasehold estate, rental property by the landlord. In some jurisdictions it may also involve the removal of persons from premises that were foreclosure, foreclosed by a mortgagee (often ...

when it is discovered they are not married. Manuela confesses that she is a prostitute, having concocted an office job to hide her shame. As tensions rise in November with the threat of armed confrontations between extremist parties, Abel and Manuela live in fear on the outskirts of Berlin. One morning, Abel secretly follows Manuela and discovers she has been going to church. She confides in a priest, expressing guilt over her husband's death and the fear consuming their lives. Abel later learns that Manuela secured their apartment by providing sexual favors to the owner of the brothel where she works. Initially disgusted, Abel eventually returns to Manuela and they share a passionate kiss. However, their time together is cut short when soldiers overrun the brothel, killing the owner. Abel finds a job as a file clerk in a hospital, while Manuela works at the clinic. They live in an apartment surrounded by abandoned buildings. One night, Abel discovers files detailing inhumane experiments conducted on patients at the hospital. Overwhelmed by fear, Abel withdraws from intimacy, and Manuela experiences extreme mood swings. After a drunken incident and a sexual encounter with a prostitute, Abel returns home to find Manuela dead and cameras scattered in the apartment. Fleeing the scene, Abel ends up in an abandoned industrial building and fights off an unknown attacker in an elevator, decapitating him. Returning to the hospital, Abel confronts the doctor about the experiments. The doctor claims the subjects were volunteers driven by desperation. Abel is shown footage of Max injecting himself with a serum that ultimately led to his suicide. The doctor justifies the experiments, stating they will benefit mankind. As the police arrive, the doctor commits suicide with cyanide. Abel is placed in a psychiatric ward to recover. The chief of police informs him that the circus has offered his old job, and he is forced to accept. It is revealed that Abel escapes from police custody on the way to the train station and disappears. The voice-over suggests that Abel evades capture and is never seen again.

Cast

(Manuela Rosenberg) *

(Abel Rosenberg) *

Gert Fröbe Karl Gerhart "Gert" Fröbe (; 25 February 1913 – 5 September 1988) was a German actor. He was known in English-speaking countries for his work as the title character in the James Bond film '' Goldfinger'', as Peachum in ''The Threepenny Opera ...

(Inspector Bauer) *

Heinz Bennent Heinz Bennent (18 July 1921 – 12 October 2011) was a German actor. Biography Bennent was born in Stolberg. He was conscripted into the Luftwaffe during World War II, where he was captured by Allied forces and spent much of the war in POW c ...

(Hans Vergérus) *

James Whitmore James Allen Whitmore Jr. (October 1, 1921 – February 6, 2009) was an American actor. He received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Theatre World Award, and a Tony Award, plus two Ac ...

(Priest) *

Glynn Turman Glynn Turman (born January 31, 1947) is an American actor. First coming to attention as a child actor in the original 1959 Broadway production of ''A Raisin in the Sun'', Turman is known for his roles as Lew Miles on the prime-time soap opera '' ...

(Monroe) * Georg Hartmann (Hollinger) *

Edith Heerdegen Edith Heerdegen (2 July 1913 – 13 July 1982) was a German actress. She appeared in more than 50 films and television shows between 1949 and 1982. Filmography References External links * 1913 births 1982 deaths German film actre ...

(Mrs Holle) * (Miss Dorst) *

Fritz Straßner Fritz is a common German male name. The name originated as a German diminutive of Friedrich or Frederick (''Der Alte Fritz'', and ''Stary Fryc'' were common nicknames for King Frederick II of Prussia and Frederick III, German Emperor), as well ...

(Doctor Soltermann) *

Hans Quest Hans Quest (August 20, 1915 – March 29, 1997) was a German actor and film director. Selected filmography Director *''Wenn der Vater mit dem Sohne'' (1955) *''The Happy Wanderer (1955 film), The Happy Wanderer'' (1955) *''Charley's Aunt (1956 ...

(Doctor Silbermann) *

Wolfgang Weiser Wolfgang is a German male given name traditionally popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The name is a combination of the Old High German words ''wolf'', meaning "wolf", and ''gang'', meaning "path", "journey", "travel". Besides the regula ...

(Official) *

Paula Braend Paula Braend (1905–1989) was a German actress.http://www.volkstheater-fan.de/actors/paula_braend.php Paula Braend Selected filmography * '' A Heart Beats for You'' (1949) * '' After the Rain Comes Sunshine'' (1949) *'' Die Alm an der Grenze'' ...

(Mrs. Hemse) *

Walter Schmidinger Walter Schmidinger (28 April 1933 – 28 September 2013) was an Austrian actor. Schmidinger was born in Linz, and died, aged 80, in Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of c ...

(Solomon) *

Lisi Mangold Lisi Mangold (24 April 1950 – 4 January 1986) was a Swiss actress. Life She trained at the Schauspielschule Zürich and got her first engagement at the Schillertheater in Berlin. There she played in ''Wildwechsel'' by Franz Xaver Kroetz. ...

(Mikaela) *

Grischa Huber Christel Magdalena Huber, known as Grischa Huber (18 September 1944 – 6 April 2021) was a German theatre and film actress. She is known for the lead role in the film '' Under the Pavement Lies the Strand'', a "cult film of the German feminist m ...

(Stella) *

Paul Bürks Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo P ...

Toni Berger Toni, Toñi or Tóni is a unisex given name used in several European countries as well as among individuals with ancestry from these countries outside Europe. In Spanish, Italian, Croatian and Finnish, it is a masculine given name used as a sho ...

(Mr. Rosenberg) * Erna Brunell (Mrs. Rosenberg) *

Isolde Barth Isolde Barth (born 24 August 1948) is a German movie, theater and television actress. She appeared in over 60 films between 1968 and 2013. In 1968 she first appeared in a minor role in the German comedy '. She also appeared in '' Group Portrait ...

* * Andrea L'Arronge * Beverly McNeely * Hans Eichler (Max) *

Kai Fischer Kai Fischer (born 18 March 1934) is a German film actress. She appeared in more than 50 films between 1955 and 1999. Selected filmography * ''Operation Sleeping Bag'' (1955) * '' The Bath in the Barn'' (1956) * '' Sand, Love and Salt'' (1957) * ...

Harry Kalenberg Harry may refer to: Television * ''Harry'' (American TV series), 1987 comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (New Zealand TV series), 2013 crime drama starring Oscar K ...

Gaby Dohm Gaby Dohm (born 23 September 1943 in Salzburg) is a German actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium ...

Christian Berkel Christian Berkel (born 28 October 1957) is a German actor. He is known for his appearances in '' Downfall'' (2004), ''Valkyrie'' (2008), ''Inglourious Basterds'' (2009) and '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' (2015). Life and career Berkel was born on ...

(Student) *

Paul Burian Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo P ...

Charles Regnier Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...

Günter Meisner Günter Meisner (18 April 1926 – 5 December 1994) was a German character actor. He is remembered for his several cinematic portrayals of Adolf Hitler and for his role as Arthur Slugworth / Mr. Wilkinson in '' Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Fact ...

* Heide Picha *

Günter Malzacher Gunter or Günter may refer to: * Gunter rig, a type of sailing rig, especially in small boats * Gunter Annex, Alabama, a United States Air Force installation * Gunter, Texas, city in the United States * the former German name of the village of ...

* Hubert Mittendorf *

Hertha von Walther Hertha von Walther (born Hertha Stern und Walter von Monbary; 12 June 1903 – 12 April 1987) was a German film actress. She appeared in 80 films between 1921 and 1983. Biography Hertha von Walther was born Hertha Stern und Walther von Monb ...

* Ellen Umlauf * Renate Grosser * Hildegard Busse * Richard Bohne * Emil Feist * Heino Hallhuber * Irene Steinbeisser

Production

Elliott Gould Elliott Gould (; né Goldstein; born August 29, 1938) is an American actor. Gould's breakthrough role was in the film ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' (1969), for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The ...

claimed that Bergman had written the lead role for him, but that producer

Dino De Laurentiis Agostino "Dino" De Laurentiis (; 8 August 1919 – 10 November 2010) was an Italian film producer and businessman who held both Italian and American citizenship. Following a brief acting career in the late 1930s and early 1940s, he moved into f ...

overruled it, with David Carradine cast in his place."At the Movies: Elliot Gould Speaks Well Of 'Silent Partner. Flatley, Guy; ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', 2 September 1977: 50. The film was released one year after Bergman had left Sweden for West Germany following a tax-evasion charge.

Reception

''The Serpent's Egg'' opened to mostly negative reviews from critics. In the ''

Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. The ''Reader'' has been ...

,''

Dave Kehr David Kehr (born 1953) is an American museum curator and film critic. For many years a critic at the ''Chicago Reader'' and the ''Chicago Tribune,'' he later wrote a weekly column for ''The New York Times'' on DVD releases. He later became a c ...

opined that Bergman "comes very close to

camp Camp may refer to: Areas of confinement, imprisonment, or for execution * Concentration camp, an internment camp for political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or minority ethnic groups * Extermination ...

" and argued that the suffering throughout the work "... has no shape or substance, apart from pointing out that Nazis and their progenitors were not nice people."

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...

wrote that "... there is no form, no pattern, and when Bergman tries to impose one by artsy pseudo-newsreel footage and a solemn narration, he reminds us only of the times he has used both better." The film holds a rating of 20% on

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

from 20 reviews.

References

External links

* * *
''The Serpent's Egg'', A Film
PDF
''The Serpents Egg''
PDF {{DEFAULTSORT:Serpent's Egg 1977 films 1977 drama films German drama films 1970s English-language films English-language German films English-language Swedish films 1970s German-language films Films directed by Ingmar Bergman Films produced by Dino De Laurentiis Films with screenplays by Ingmar Bergman Films set in 1923 Films set in Berlin Holocaust films Paramount Pictures films Swedish drama films West German films 1977 multilingual films German multilingual films 1970s German films 1970s Swedish films Films scored by Rolf Alexander Wilhelm English-language drama films German-language drama films